The King's Loose Pages
by KingofLoosePages
Summary: A collection of all the projects I started, but probably won't ever finish. Take a look, everything inside is up for adoption.
1. Disclaimer

**DISCLAIMER::**I don't own anything you recognize and if you have questions then feel free to ask them.

**RATING::** Various

Hey! I'm going to get this all out of the way first thing and not mention it again, okay? Obviously, the vote said you guys want my little snippets so I'm going to post them. YOU CAN CONTINUE ANY OF THEM YOU LIKE!! Just let me know so I can read what you write, okay?

The rating is because some things I might want to post could possibly be worthy of it. For the most part though, they aren't. Also, everything is likely slash. I will put a Het warning (and how weird is that?) up if it isn't.

Remember, these are projects I've started, but don't intend to finish. I also just realized that some of them are pretty shoddy writing, but several of them are VERY old. Like, two-three years old.

And I'm sorry about slow update times, but it's getting to be that time of year when end of year exams are taking up all my free time. I've also started getting into Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter, so if you have any HPXover fic recomendations with that series, let me know okay? I need something to help me unwind.

Taku


	2. Dragonriders of Pern HP

If someone was to describe Harry Potter they would not use the words dirty, homeless, or desperate. Yet he was all of these things as of two minutes ago.

His life had been going well up until that damn creature had appeared before him. Not that he wasn't eternally grateful it had, because he was, but his life would have continued to be wonderful if it hadn't.

He'd killed Voldemort, realized that he and Ginny weren't as compatible as they'd first thought, been named his ex-girlfriends unborn child's godfather, owned a small home in Hearth Alley, and was a very successful veterinarian. He specialized in magical creatures, but that was only because the presence of his magic flooding a non-magical creature tended to make them a little twitchy.

In accordance with his now quiet life, he'd taken a few days off to tend to his herb garden. It was more for the simple potions he sometimes made for his patients, but he did keep some of his cooking ingredients in it, as well as a few flowers.

It happened when he was pruning the snapdragons, a perfectly normal thing for an abnormal person to do. There was a brief rush of cold, his poor snap dragons withered under the intense frost that suddenly appeared, and a tiny dragon creeled pitifully at him from his crushed flower bed.

Its red eyes were swirling in a way that Harry somehow knew meant it was hungry and as soon as he'd looked in it's eyes a sense of urgency had over come him. He'd ended up rushing into the kitchen, with the creature tripping after him, and pulling any bit of meat he could find out to feed the poor thing.

Once it's hunger had been sated it had stumbled closer to him and rubbed it's head affectionately against his leg. Then calm blue eyes had stared up at him with such an overwhelming feeling of love that he'd been unable to process even slight annoyance at his flowers, herbs, and potion ingredients being ruined. There had only been the brief relief that he had privacy charms up to keep people from seeing into his yard.

"**I am called Helleth, H'rry." **The affection Harry had felt doubled until it was just as strong as Helleth's feelings toward him. He'd had no choice but to kneel down and wrap his arms around the little bronze dragon's neck and murmur a hello.

That was nearly two weeks ago and he'd managed to keep the creatures existence a secret until he'd had an unexpected visit from Ron. The prat had spotted Helleth, ignored any chance at explanation, and promptly informed the ministry. They'd wanted to take Helleth from him, wanted to send him to the Department of Mysteries, and Harry couldn't allow that to happen.

So he'd packed his home up, wrapped his arms around Helleth, and apparated them both to a sandy beach in Spain he knew would be deserted. It was hidden under the fidelus charm with himself and Ginny as secret keepers. He knew she wouldn't betray him, not after naming him godfather to her unborn child.

They'd already been living on the beach for a week; and though Harry bathed in the ocean, it didn't clean him up half as well as a shower or bath would have. He did get enough for both himself and Helleth to eat with a combination of fish, some native fruit trees, and the occasional bird that Harry caught in his traps. He was hesitant to use magic, but that didn't stop him from weaving crude nets out of plant fibers and setting them up to fall if the bait was pulled on.

So why was he desperate you ask? Helleth had been complaining about itching skin, and two minutes ago Harry had found the first crack. The only thing he could think of that would sooth such a thing was oil for the dry skin, but how was he supposed to get enough for the dragon that had already doubled it's size? It was as big a horse now!

"**It! You don't know by now that I'm a boy H'rry?" **Despite the fact that it was said teasingly, Harry still flushed guiltily, he _did_ know. He just sometimes forgot when he was stressed out that Helleth was a perfectly sentient, if not absent minded, dragonet. And he was a dragonet, Harry had quickly learned. He would roughly quadruple in size until he was as big as a Hungarian Horntail by the time he was fully grown.

That itching sting returned to his thoughts, quickly hidden by Helleth, but not quick enough. The dragonet had tried to hide his need for oiled skin from H'rry, knowing they didn't have a way to get it, but he'd not done a good enough job of it and his rider had found out.

"I'm just going to have to catch one of the seals and use it's fat. There should be some grasses a little further inland that I can boil it with and it will be more grease than oil but I'm at a loss for what to do." He sighed and scratched at Helleth's eye ridges. "I'm sorry my love, I know how much you like to play with them, but I don't think the seals will take kindly to my killing one of them."

Hell, he wouldn't take kindly to killing one. There were enough sick people out there that speared the poor creatures before they even had a chance to enjoy life. The least he could do was pick an old one that had seen a long life.

And so his desperation passed and he only kept his eyes open as he skinned the poor thing in order to separate the fat, skin, and muscle easier. Helleth enjoyed the beasts meat, but Harry couldn't bring himself to cook any for himself. All he kept seeing were the terrified baby seals slipping into the water when they realized he could hurt them.

Several months later found Harry gripping tight to Helleth's neck as they lifted into the air. The dragon had grown faster than he would have expected, faster than Helleth had expected even! He'd learned to fly in short order, brought Harry on his nightly jaunts when he was big enough to carry him, and accidentally learned to go into that cold space between places when a muggle plane almost ran into them.

Harry had been quite spooked by that and demanded an explanation. He'd been surprised when the dragon had told him he somehow knew how to do it, but not why he knew or how he'd done it. He simply had and why did it matter anyway? Were they not unharmed and away from that large metal dragon?

This flight wasn't like all the others though. Ginny had sent him an owl saying they'd forced his location out of her, that he would be attacked come morning. He'd shrunken the large tub of boiled seal fat and sweet grasses and secured a few of the more useful crude tools he'd made in a couple of the fiber nets on his back.

"Take us somewhere safe Helleth, somewhere they can't find us." His mumble was more for himself as he tried to figure out a place that they couldn't follow him, but Helleth heard and his eyes swirled yellow-green before they winked out into the cold of between.

The terror of being unable to feel his dragon's strong body under, unable to even hear his own breathing, gripped him and he had to remind himself to count his heart beats. It was the only tangible thing that existed as far as his human senses were concerned. His magic did him little good as the place was flooded with some energy that all he could sense was the faint connection between himself and Helleth in his mind.

Five heartbeats in and Harry was beginning to panic in earnest, ten and he was ready to start flailing in hopes that he would feel something. Then there was an abrupt rush of warm air that quickly melted the ice which has formed on his hair and the comforting rush of wind in his ears.

He looked around at the barely lit place they'd appeared. It looked as though dragon sized holes had been carved into the stone, he could even see the glowing pinpoints of draconic eyes peering out at them from the various places.

As they floated closer a bugle startled him and he nearly fell from his perch. Helleth's answering bugle did little to calm him, but the gentle touch to his mind worked almost instantly. "Where are we Helleth, and was that another dragon?"

The gentle touch became stronger as Helleth spoke. **"We are at Benden Weyr, and that was only a green."**

Harry blinked and absently stroked the smooth hide under his fingers. "So it was another dragon? And what's Benden Weyr? Why are we here? Where is here?"

Helleth rumbled a little and Harry braced himself as the Dragon landed in a bowl shaped area. Just beside a small lake. **"Yes, the green was another dragon. Benden Weyr is where I was hatched, before I came to find you. We are here because you asked me to take you to a safe place where they could not find us. Here is on Pern, where I came from."**

There was another, louder bugle and Harry felt Helleth retreat from him slightly. The light buzz of a mental conversation he was not privy to tickled in the back of his head, but he was more concerned about the people advancing on them.

They spoke to him, but he barely understood what they were saying and so flattened himself against Helleth in a frightened gesture he wasn't even aware of. His dragon sensed his riders unease and spread his wings to let Harry know he was ready to take off at any time. Harry couldn't stop, not that he wanted to, the rush of warmth that bubbled up in him at the dragon's protectiveness.

The short woman seemed to realized he didn't understand what she was trying to say and turned to snap something at the man beside her. He frowned, but his face lost the focused look it had had moments before a foreign voice filled his mind.

Immediately, Helleth launched himself into the air with an angry hiss that sounded more like a growl. **"He is my H'rry, not yours!"** Harry winced at the force of the sending, but that loud voice from before seemed to quiet.

"**He does not understand the weyrwoman, I was only trying to help him Helleth."** So he was privy to this conversation?

"Is that another dragon Helleth?" He murmured quietly and the dragon snorted in an agreeing manner. But then he turned angrily swirling orange eyes on the large shadowed bulk on one of the ledges.

"**It is bronze Mnementh, he flew Ramoth and I hatched from one of their clutches. But H'rry is mine!"** Obviously that last bit was for Mnementh.

The green eyed man relaxed against his dragon and stroked soothing at his neck. "I won't let some other dragon steal me away my love, you are much more magnificent than any other in this, or another, Weyr. He is simply trying to help me understand his riders mate better." At least, that was the impression he'd gotten.

Helleth seemed mollified by this and gently touched back down. The people once again approached, and this time Harry carefully slid off Helleth's back. Though the dragon wasn't happy with it, he did angle his leg so Harry had an easier time of it.

Concealed behind Helleth's great bronze wing, Harry quickly pointed his wand at his head and muttered a translating charm. It would let him understand the spoken and written language as well as give him the ability to speak it. His writing would be very shaky, but he could managed to jot things down as well if he pressed the spell.

"We are told you are bronze Helleth's rider, H'rry?" Harry frowned as he realized these people had shortened his name the same way Helleth did, but he let it slip in favor of finding out what was going to happen to him.

He realized he'd been quiet to long when one of them shifted impatiently. "I'm sorry! Umm…yes, I am Helleth's rider. We don't mean to intrude like this, but I could hardly stay where I was." The woman frowned at him and Harry shrunk back against Helleth a little.

"Why couldn't you stay? You weren't causing trouble for Oldtimers or anything were you? I swear if that Mardra comes complaining about young bronze riders trying to tempt her queen out of the hatching sands and away from Fidranth one more time-!"

The man put a hand on her shoulder and she quieted with a little huff. "Calm yourself Lessa, you're scaring the poor lad." As if this was some sort of signal, Harry pushed away Helleth's side and straightened up. Helleth himself seemed to puff up at the seeming insult to his rider. "I don't mean anything by it Helleth, but he was doing his best to melt into your side."

The dragon huffed and Harry ignored the burning in his cheeks in favor of glaring at the man before him. As if some slip of a woman could scare him half as much as Ginny could when she got going! Hah!

"Are you going to answer her question?" The man behind Mnementh's rider asked with a faint lilt of amusement. Harry blinked at him, promptly blushed harder, thanked Merlin for the darkness that hid his red face, and cleared his throat.

As he thought of what the question was the red in his face took on an entirely different reason. "They were trying to take Helleth from me! Said he was a danger to those around me and I shouldn't have kept a dragon for so long and they had never seen one like him before and they were going to DISECT HIM TO SEE HOW HE WORKED!" The last bit was a screech of outrage and Helleth had to extend a wing around him to calm him down.

Those that had listened looked properly scandalized, even angry at this announcement, and that mollified Harry's rage enough that he stopped gasping for air.

"Someone was going _disect a dragon_?! Who would dare do such a thing? I'll show them what it means to mess with a Weyr!" Harry smiled slightly at the man-

"**F'nor. He rides brown Canth and the one the that spoke with you first, F'lar, rides Mnementh."**

-F'nor, and shook his head. "It doesn't matter, they can't do anything now. They'll never find me, or you, or anyone here. Helleth says we aren't even on Earth anymore. He says we're in a place called Pern?" Silence met his announcement.

F'lar took a hesitant step forward, obviously not sure of what to make of this new information. "You're not from Pern?" He asked carefully and Harry nodded slightly to agree.

"I was weeding my garden when Helleth appeared out of nowhere and frosted over my poor flowers. A friend of mine told our government that I had a dragon, probably because he was jealous, and we fled to a beach I owned. We were living there until the mother of my godchild warned me about an attack. I asked Helleth to take us somewhere safe and we appeared here before I knew what was going on."

Helleth snorted, but seemed to hunker down. At least he was feeling comfortable enough to not worry over much about Harry being attacked now. F'lar blinked, rubbed his face, sighed, and mumbled something about a robinton; whatever that was.

F'nor chuckled quietly, obviously taking this whole thing better than his brother. "In the meantime he, and his Helleth, need somewhere to stay. I know we don't have any free weyrs right now so they can share with me and Canth. That is, so long as they don't mind giving me a ride up as well?"

From F'lar and Lessa's startled expression Harry got the impression they hadn't even thought about where to put him. Both of them agreed with F'nor though, and Harry gracefully climbed back onto Helleth. F'nor waited patiently for Harry to hold his hand out to him, likely knowing Harry would have to ask if Helleth minded the extra weight.

"_**Helleth? Do you think you could take us both up to Canth?"**_

The dragon gave a quiet huffed as if to say "you doubt me?" before cocking his leg and mentally nudging Harry to hold his hand out. As soon as he did, F'nor grasped it and used Helleth's cocked leg to climb up easier. He settled with the ease of long practice on a dragon and wrapped his arms around Harry's waist.

Neither said anything as Helleth lifted them into the air and toward one of the hulking shapes in one of the many dark caves. They settled on the ledge of one, beside a brown dragon as big as Helleth, and Harry stumbled off his dragon with less grace than a first year gawking at Hogwarts ceiling.

F'nor caught him with a quiet laugh. "Sorry about the uneven footing, there are gouges here from dragons coming and going through the centuries. I wasn't expecting company so I didn't put out a glow." He led Harry into a small room with a primitive looking bed. "You don't mind sharing my bed tonight do you? I'm afraid there was a hatching earlier tonight, so all our free weyrs are being used by nobles who wanted to stay overnight and make sure their boys that Impressed are settled in."

Harry shook his head and smiled weakly up at F'nor. "I don't mind." But F'nor might, if Harry's nightmares acted up again tonight. It wasn't very often, but sometimes he'd have dreams about the war. Or about losing Helleth.

The pair settled into the furs, F'nor doing his best to avoid crowding Harry, and soon drifted off to sleep.

When sunlight crept onto Harry's face he tiredly turned it into the warm blanket wrapped around him. He couldn't remember ever having a better nights sleep and he was reluctant to lose it so soon. Helleth rumbled quietly, reminding him that he wasn't the only who wanted to keep a good nights sleep.

But the evil sun was not to be denied and Harry carefully opened one eye to peer blurrily around the room. There was Helleth's gleaming bronze tail along with an equally shiny brown one and…wait. A brown one?

Then the night before came crashing down around him and he tried to shoot out of the bed, only to have an arm tighten around him and a body press against his back. There was a groggy sound, almost a questioning noise, before a quiet sigh ruffled his hair and the body behind him slipped back into sleep.

The arm did not loosen however, and Harry was left with very little movement left to him. So he stared at Helleth's tail, willing the dragon to wake up and make a loud noise. When that didn't work he carefully turned around in the restraining hold to look up at the sleep softened face of the other man.

He wasn't unattractive, he probably didn't have any problems with getting someone to share his bed in a way that was much more than innocent, Harry reasoned. That was probably why he had spooned the poor bronze rider and was even now refusing to let him go.

When F'nor awoke and realized it wasn't a lover he was holding, he would release Harry and they would go down to find out Harry's fate. It seemed that that would happen soon too; F'nor was stirring.

When brown eyes peeked down at Harry, the arm tightened briefly before releasing him. Almost as if he were trying to reassure Harry that everything would be okay. Harry carefully rolled out of the bed and walked much more gracefully than he had last night over to the still sleeping Helleth.

Briefly, he checked to make sure his dragon was okay before turning a questioning gaze on a slowly stretching F'nor. The other rider seemed to feel his stare because he grinned blurrily at Harry and rolled himself out of the bed in much the same manner Harry had.

"Come on H'rry, I'll show you where the baths are and get you some proper clothes. All I need is Lessa and Manora asking why I wasn't taking care of a guest." He chuckled a little and ambled his way to Canth. The brown dragon shifted aside, making more room for the humans between the pair of dragons. "You can ride with me since you let me ride with you last night. Canth will let Helleth know where we've gone once he wakes up."

F'nor fondly patted Canth's side and the dragon rumbled quietly at him. The brown rider set about putting some sort of saddle on his dragon and once he was sure it was secure he climbed onto his dragons back.

Then F'nor was pulling Harry onto the brown's back and they were launching into the sky with an exhilaration that Harry hadn't known before. Flying with Helleth was always wonderful, but they were still unsure when it came to flight with a rider and they didn't have the saddle that Canth now wore.

They landed quickly, Canth obviously wanting to get back to his sleep, and Harry follow F'nor into a hall that got more damp the deeper they went. He found out the reason for this as they stepped into a large bathing area. There were already a few people bathing, mostly younger boys that had probably gotten dragons the night before.

F'nor pulled off his clothes without thought to the audience and Harry followed his example. He'd lived in a dorm with four other boys, that left very little room for privacy. Once they were settled, and Harry had realized what the containers of sand were for, F'nor turned chocolate eyes to him.

"How long have you had Helleth H'rry?" He asked curiously, scrubbing absently at his arm with a handful of sweet sand.

Harry frowned thoughtfully. "A couple months at least, he grew very fast for a dragon."

Concern washed through him as F'nor seemed to choke. "You only had him that long and he's already fully grown?!"

Green eyes blinked and Harry nodded. "I think it has something to do with the ambient energy that flows through my planet."

F'nor nodded, looking a bit shocked still. "Anyway, you should hurry. F'lar will have already gotten the Masterharper here."

It took little time for the pair to finish cleaning up and F'nor found Harry a nice set of tan riding pants and a soft purple shirt. Then he was being jostled into a seat, given some sort of coffee-like drink, and told to eat something. F'lar and another man, Robinton he had introduced himself, were sitting across from him with Lessa serving them all food and drink.

"You say you aren't from Pern, H'rry?" Robinton wasted no time in asking.

The bronze rider nodded and swallowed the mouthful of bread he'd been chewing. "Yes. Like I said last night, Helleth just appeared in my garden one day crying for food. I've taken care of him since then." He smiled fondly at the thought of his dragon and those in the room couldn't help relaxing a little.

"And they were going to dissect your Helleth?" This time it was F'lar who asked and Harry scowled. His nod was jerky, obviously angry at the reminder of what his people had tried to do.

There was a few more questions, mostly about what he knew of dragons and Pern, before Robinton stood with a wide smile.

"I suppose the only thing left to do is find out where to put you. I assume he'll be staying at Benden?" F'lar nodded and Robinton rubbed his hands together. "I think we'll keep the other world part to ourselves, shall we? I'll have to write up a song to explain where you're from, but otherwise it should all be fine." Robinton left the room mumbling to himself about some musical something.

Lessa chuckled and F'lar shot her a grin as Harry stared after the man in confusion. "You'll get used to it H'rry, Robinton is always like that when he hasn't had any wine. He was right though, you'll be staying here. I'm just not sure what we'll do with you since you've never had to deal with thread before."

Lessa, who had remained silent through the meeting, cleared her throat. "Why don't we start by getting Helleth and H'rry outfitted with riding gear. We could see how well they fly together and maybe do some of the spring games you were all so fond of to see if he'd be any good in a fall?"

F'lar's smile could have split his face as he pulled Lessa into his lap. "I knew there was a reason Mnementh caught Ramoth!" And Harry quietly slinked out, feeling like he was intruding on something private.

He climbed onto Helleth's back for a lift to the ground and wandered into one of the lower caverns. Women and children were rushing around, preparing for something or other. They would pause to look at him, probably wondering who he was, before rushing off again.

F'nor was seated at a table with some other dragon riders. They all seemed to be interrogating him about something, but they fell silent when he approached. Green eyes shifted away from them briefly, hiding his upset, and a strained smile stretched his lips. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

One of the riders kicked out a chair and Harry smiled briefly at him before sitting down.

"I take it they're done making decisions then?" F'nor asked with good humor; Harry merely nodded. "Well H'rry? What did they decide?"

Green eyes blinked. "They said to get Helleth and myself some riding gear then they were going to have spring games to see how well I fly." The riders all around the table cheered and began getting up. Harry was startled to find several hands pulling him out of his chair, F'nor among them, and dragging him toward a door.

He was shoved into clothing, had clothing shoved into his arms, and then dragged out to his dragon. The poor beast was dancing away from riders trying to get a saddle of some kind on it and said riders all looked at Harry pleadingly. Obviously they wanted him to calm his dragon.

Feeling a bit playful, Harry shoved all of his new clothes into F'nor's arms and tossed him a cheeky grin when the brown rider spluttered. It was no task to calm Helleth down enough for the saddle to be fitted and when he mounted his dragon and accepted his bundle of clothing back from F'nor he was amazed at how easy it was for him to fly on his dragon.

Canth flew passed them and twirled once with F'nor waving for them to follow, then led Helleth back to F'nor's weyr.


	3. Anne Rice Vampires HP

It was dark but that had never bothered me before. I could feel the spirits surrounding me and couldn't help but wonder why they had chosen to come to me now when I had had need of them as a child. They were telling me it was a wonderful night, a night that I should be outside for something great was to happen. They would not tell me what it was no matter how much I pleaded or complimented them however and that frustrated me.

I did however listen to the spirits as they had never lied to me before and I praised them their knowledge of what was to come. I did so to get answers and because they were the only ones that had never left me, at least not once they'd found me.

I followed the leaves that they blew towards the forest and smiled as they led me to a clearing filled with flowers and fireflies. It was a beautiful sight but I knew that it wasn't what they'd wanted me to see. "What is it that you have for me? Why do you lead me here if not for the view?" I asked and sighed when they did not answer.

I felt it as the spirits became excited and turned to see what had caught there attention. Standing before me was a creature I had only seen in textbooks. I gasped and took a step back my hand going to the wand attached to my left arm. The beast came further into the clearing and without warning attacked.

I cried out and stumbled to the ground, pushing at the large feline trying to get it off. It wouldn't budge and I ended up with its teeth in my arm before I could think of a spell that would repel it. It was a cousin of the Nundu but I couldn't remember what it was called. I cried out to the spirits around me but they refused to help.

I wondered why and pleaded with them to tell me but all I got was the image of three red haired women before I was blinded by a flash of light and my body vanished.

POV change

Two red haired girls jumped and dropped the baskets they'd been using to gather herbs as a boy appeared in front of them. He was clutching at his arm and whimpering in pain even as he tried to remain still. Blood was beginning to leak onto the ground underneath him and with a glance at her twin one of the two ran off to get help.

The one that had stayed carefully approached the injured boy and knelt beside him. She said something but he couldn't understand her and even if he hadn't been in much pain he doubted that he knew what language she was speaking. He moaned and she pursed her lips.

The girl rolled him over making him bite back a scream as the poison of the animal's bite rushed faster through his veins. She stopped only when he was facing her and made sure he was paying attention when she pointed to herself and said in a clear voice "Mekare."

The boy gave a small nod and she pointed to him. "Harry." he managed to choke out before convulsing. The poison had finally begun to affect his nervous system. The other red haired girl came back with two men and someone who had to be her mother. That was the last thing he saw before his vision blurred and he lost consciousness.

Harry awoke to the feeling of a cold wet cloth on his forehead and groaned at the light in his eyes. His whole body hurt and he couldn't understand why. He twitch the tips of his fingers and sighed in relief when he found that the toxin hadn't taken the control of his movements from him. He opened his eyes a little when he heard a soothing feminine voice next to him and frowned.

"Mekare?" he asked hoarsely and the girl shook her head. "Maharet." she told him and he nodded. He glanced around himself and tensed his left arm to find that his wand was till strapped there. He smiled and winced as his lips cracked but brought his left arm around so that the wand was pointing at his neck. He croaked out a spell and instantly his mind was flooded with knowledge of the era he'd landed himself in.

He smiled as the worried gibberish of the girl became something he could understand and he lowered his arm like she wanted him to. "Are you stupid?! You were just poisoned you could make your recovery worse if you move around to much! Mekare is going to be very unhappy when she finds out!" Maharet ranted and Harry chuckled weakly.

"Then don't let her find out. I have done nothing to make my recovery any worse than it would have been." he said soothingly and she stopped talking staring at him in surprise. "Mekare said you didn't understand our language." she said quietly and Harry gave a slight nod. "I was in to much pain to understand much of anything."

He decided on a half-truth instead of a lie as it was true that he hadn't been able to understand much of anything because of the pain he'd been in. Maharet nodded acceptingly and stood. "I'm going to go and tell my mother you've woken." Harry nodded and readily relaxed into the bed.

He was so sore and tired he could hardly stay awake long enough for the three women to arrive. When they did however he was reminded of what the spirits had showed him. He had used that image to get there! That was why he was six thousand years in the past! "That was what they meant! Well that's the last time I trust them to show me something when they're excited." he muttered to himself.

The three women apparently hadn't heard him as they began to question him on who he was and how he'd gotten there. When he answered all of there questions vaguely the mother got annoyed and tried to look into his mind. Almost immediately he put up the Occlumency Shields he'd managed to create with the help of a book on mind magics.

The women seemed taken aback that she couldn't see into his mind before she smiled. "The spirits protect you as they do us. You are welcomed into our village with all the respect of a witch of your power." Harry blinked and then nodded slowly "Thank you for your hospitality, I would gladly stay so long as I will not be a burden." This seemed to please the trio greatly and Maharet left immediately to tell the villagers of their newest member.

"We are peaceful though so I warn you not to try anything of an aggressive nature. No one will attack you so long as you do not attack them." Harry smiled and nodded again. "I do not wish to harm others, only one man shall know pain at my hands and he does not reside here." He said firmly and the woman nodded.

Harry quickly became integrated into the culture and daily life of the people around him. He could always be found with a child either teaching them something or telling them tales of creatures from other lands. The people had grown quite fond of him but they could not understand why he never wished to participate in the funeral feasts where the children he so loved to teach ate the flesh of their bearers.

They were content however to let him do as he wished so long as he did not try to stop their traditions and he never did. He would comfort the very young ones when someone they were fond of died and he would offer condolences to those who were affected by the death just as much but refused the comfort but he was not to be found when it came time for the feast.

When a messenger came through bearing a clay tablet from Egypt he refused to touch it and in the first act of meanness that the villagers knew from him he refused to tell the messenger where the witches resided. It hadn't helped as someone else had told him and when asked about it he just said he hadn't liked the feel of the tablet.

A while after that there was a commotion near the caves of the witches and days after it had settled again the twins' mother fell ill. The villagers did everything they could for her but eventually as it is with all living things she died and they prepared her body for the funeral feast. Many of the villagers were surprised when Harry showed up at the feast to watch as was the custom when a witch died but they didn't pay it much mind. They stood there for hours waiting as the two sisters mentally prepared themselves to consume the flesh of their mother and as they brought the plates up in perfect unison it happened.

Soldiers from Egypt invaded the clearing and pulled the girls away from their mothers burnt and shriveled body knocking it to ground. They slaughtered the peaceful people of the valley and when they came to him he fought with all the ferocity of a mother lion.

One by one the men fell to him until they realized they could not beat him and backed off. He was breathing evenly and didn't seem at all affected by the twenty or so bodies that lay around him. The knives in his hands were glistening crimson in the sun and the wand that he'd kept on his person since his arrival had not once left its sheath on his arm to join the battle.

He wore the battle robes that had been his trademark before he'd been sent back in time but the clothing underneath fit in with the time period he was now a part of. The twins were watching him with wide eyes. They knew he trained in private and had even seen him doing so one or two times when they'd awoken early enough but they had never thought he could be so powerful and deadly.

"Give up savage! Eating the flesh of others is barbaric!" The cry had the two women wailing in despair again as their attention was brought back to their mothers ruined remains. "I will do no such thing. You may be the king of a kingdom but this is not your lands and you should not be in them as you are. I have not once partaken of the flesh of others but it is not for us to decide what another would believe!" There was an outraged yell from the soldiers and they began their attack anew.

Harry sent a look to the two women who were clutching at each other before smiling apologetically and disappearing with a loud popping sound. Immediately everyone went still and shocked silence was filled with whispers of them having fought a god.

Harry appeared outside of the encampment of the Egyptian soldiers and after destroying everything he came near he changed into his Animagus form, a large black panther, and settled down to await the arrival of the men that had killed those he called friend.

The troops were surprised and angered as they came into their camp only to find it destroyed. The twins were crying but they nearly broke into identical smiles when the large black cat stalked over to them and rubbed against their legs.

"What has happened?! And where did that creature come from?!" Enkil asked eyeing the big cat. But the twins just shrugged and began to stroke the cats head. The camp was rebuilt and they rested for the night then began the long journey back to the palace. When they arrived the king and his troops found that to try and separate the cat from the twins was futile and ended only in pain so they left them together and brought them to there cell.

As it had been in the journey there Khayman came to them and stroked the big cat. He brought them comforts such as fresh fruit and clean dresses and spoke to them for the first time. He told them that the queen was kind and that they shouldn't be afraid. He questioned them on why their animal friend allowed him close and allowed him the ability to touch when all others were attacked and driven away.

They did not say what they knew and asked only if perhaps he would like to feed the great beast. Harry allowed all of this to happen and did not protest when he was treated as any other pet would be. He went with the girls when they were brought before the court and mentally mocked the queen for her ignorance causing the spirits around them to laugh.

He listened as Mekare accused the queen of evils that had the court in a frenzy and quietly went along as the twins were taken back to their cell. Harry watched with calculating eyes as Mekare paced the cell muttering to herself occasionally until the two red heads had fallen asleep. He then paced about keeping watch over them and sending Khayman a guarded look when he came in.

He did not attack only because the kings chief steward looked to be in a terrible state. He was in only his bed clothes and looked to have been crying. Harry continued to pace the cell as he listened to the defeated man ask Maharet if what Mekare had said was true. He knew it to be so but it never hurt to hear the words from another and so he listened.

The restless panther stopped however when the scent of despair reached him. He looked over at the man who had shown such kindness to Mekare and Maharet and felt pity for him. He had just had his beliefs destroyed by a simple and obvious truth. Had just learned that he had slaughtered innocent people to satisfy a selfish queens curiosity.

With a great sigh the large feline sauntered over and rubbed himself against the distraught mans back. He purred and licked at his hand trying to make him feel better. Maharet smiled gratefully at the creature she somehow knew was the boy she and her sister had saved those few years ago. Khayman didn't seem to notice the significance of the look nor the oddness that the cat had come to comfort him and just ran his hand through the soft short fur.

After a while the man left promising to try and get them freed and Harry went back to his pacing. He was awoken when guards came to take Maharet and Mekare to the Queens chambers, he went with them of course, and rubbed against Khayman before going to stand with the twins again. This seemed to astound the Queen and King but Khayman smiled nervously down at the creature and the questioning started anew.

Again the Queen was not pleased with the answers she was given and she ordered the execution of the two woman saying they were evil. Mekare called to the spirits and a wind picked up throwing things about and terrifying the Queen and Khayman. Enkil stayed by his wife and tried his hardest to keep her safe calming her as best he could.

The Queen revoked her sentence and the spirits calmed at Mekare's order. The two men left and the Queen questioned the spirits clutching to a necklace that Amel had brought to her. The evil spirit didn't stop there however and brought another necklace, this one having been buried with the Queens mother.

The twins were again sent to their cell and Harry growled angrily as Amel ranted and raved. He was beginning to get on his nerves. Mekare finally calmed him and they sat in that cell for days only having contact with Khayman before they were brought before the court again. He allowed Khayman to come near the twins after he'd had the medallion put around his neck and to show that he did not hold the man responsible bit lightly at the back of his neck. Khayman had tensed thinking that the great beast that had favored him would kill him. That it knew what he was to do, but he was released and the great cat sent a look at the Queen and King that would have killed had it been possible.

He did not watch as Khayman tricked himself into believing that it was not the two women he had come to respect that he now raped but instead they were others, nameless and faceless that he had partaken of over the years. When it was done he journeyed through the desert and stayed with them when they were taken in by the Bedouin people until finally they reached the lands that he had called home for the three years he'd been stuck in them.

They were welcomed by the people that had come to claim the grazing lands and given back their home as the twins were known just as their mother had been. Harry became human once again and looked after the child that had come of Maharet's defilement just as he had looked after the children of the village as long as he'd been there. And they lived happily until again the soldiers came and Khayman spoke with the twins.

POV change

I came out of the place I had hidden as Khayman began to talk with Mekare and Maharet. I watched as Maharet showed him his daughter and pleaded with him and sighed tiredly as I saw that he would not be able to return to his kingdom without the women if he wished to live.

Quietly I made my way over to them and in a gesture that I'm sure surprised Mekare and Maharet I wrapped the tired man in my arms. He was surely startled but he gave in and sagged against me watching as Mekare called to Amel to come to her, called to the spirits asking for answers.

I smiled as Khayman looked up at me with a confused frown. "Who are you that you comfort me?" he asked quietly not wishing to distract Mekare. "I am one who you have taken comfort from before though you will not recognize me as I am you would recognize me as I was." and his face lit with surprise.

"You are the cat that was so faithful to them! You are the one that showed me you would not blame me for what I had to do!" he said in awe and I nodded. "Are you a god? That you could become an animal and forgive so easily surely you could not be human!" I chuckled and shook my head. "I am as human as you Khayman." was the only answer I gave.

I watched mutely as the Maharet gave Miriam over to a shepherd woman and sighed sadly as they gave themselves over to Khayman. "You leave me no choice in the matter." I said before changing back into the feline that the Egyptian was so familiar with and going with them back to the land that had caused so much grief.

I traveled in the royal litter with them and at night I would go to Khayman and assure him that we did not blame him for this. That it was Amel who was at fault not him. When we were finally back in Egypt the twins were put into a royal cell. It was closed to me before I had a chance to enter and I turned angrily to the guard that had kept me out.

He sneered down at me and in a voice that clearly showed he thought it stupid said to me that Khayman wished for me to reside with him. That the high steward was fond of me. I quieted immediately and wondered at why I was not to be allowed access to Maharet and Mekare but went to Khayman none the less if only to question him.

We were left alone and I returned to my natural form and frowned at him. "Why do you keep me from them Khayman. Surely you are not so selfish as to think I would not abandon you if only to go to them." he winced but agreed that that was not why. "I have been told that if you stay with them the guards are ordered to kill you. I did not wish for you to die." he said placating my temperament. I nodded and sat on the soft couch.

Khayman came and sat with me laying himself out so he rested against my side and I brought his hands to my face to examine them again. I ignored the fact that he was acting as a submissive partner would even though he was older than me and asked him about his wounds again. "They were made as if by tiny nats! I have told you this before Harris please do not ask me again! Why does it matter anyway? It is not I that has been changed by this evil Amel but my Queen and King! Please do not question my wounds again!"

I looked at him. He had never asked me to stop questioning him about the incident before and I had to wonder why. My fingers twitched as he withdrew his hand and pressed further against me. "Why do you wish for me to let it sit now when before you did not mind my questions?" I asked and he sighed. "I do not wish for questions Harris, not right now. I wish for you! Please would you just take notice of me instead of my wounds?"

I raised an eyebrow and looked at him. He was attractive but I couldn't help but think that he was only so eager because I had been so nice to him before. "Khayman. Your Queen and King have had something happen to them and you yourself have been tormented by an evil spirit yet all you can think about is getting me in your bed?" I said reproachfully and he growled in frustration.

"That's not it! I don't only think of that but it is what I want now and as nothing else can be done at the moment I see no harm in it!" I stiffened as he pressed his lips to mine but let him do as he pleased waiting for him to take his fill before speaking again.

"And what if I do not wish it? Hmmm? What then?" I asked and he crumpled against me. "Please Harris, I have seen you looking at the soldiers. I know you at least do not abhor the idea." I hissed as he pressed his hand against my groin. "You are right that I do not mind the idea but I will not do a thing until all of this is settled." He pursed his lips and pressed himself more firmly against me.

"Then I shall do everything." he said determinedly and instantly I was standing and he was sprawled on the couch. "You will do nothing Khayman! I am not a slave to be played with and my mercies will not last long if you think to defile me as you did them." He winced but I didn't care. How dare he even think such a thing?! "You will control yourself and your desires until there has been an end to this issue or I will control you!" I snapped.

He nodded and looked down in shame murmuring apologies. "I did not mean it like that Harris. I apologize." I nodded and was silently amused that my name had been altered from Harry to Harris. I suppose it would fit better in this land though wouldn't it? I sat back down and Khayman settled against me again and we sat there for hours.

I heard the cheers before he did and stood careful not to jostle the man to much as he was half asleep. "I am going to see this change in your sovereigns for myself now Khayman. Rest now for when I return I will no doubt have many questions for you." he sighed and shook his head. "I should come with you Harris. I would not want you charged as an intruder." he muttered and we left his chambers.

My first glimpse of the horrible rulers had me chuckling. I knew what they were. I had seen them before in my battles with Voldemort yet if they were not known here then surely they were the first. The Mother and the Father as the vampires had put it before. "I have no questions Khayman." I told him gently and led him back to his rooms.

We stayed there until the sun came up and Khayman woke me as it did. He was sure that now his Queen and King had gone and he wished to go and check on Mekare and Maharet. I readily agreed and pulled my wand from the sleeve of my robe. The robe was a bit worse for wear but I didn't mind to much. I flicked it at myself and cast a quick charm that would divert unwanted attention from me.

Khayman seemed amazed at my trick as my image shimmered before him. He would know where I was but I would still be hard to see. We traveled down to a different cell. I wondered at that but didn't say anything as it would ruin the spell and make me noticeable again. I waited until we were inside of the cell before negating my magic and appearing before the twins.

Khayman spoke to them and they looked to me to confirm the truth in his words even though they already knew he did not lie and I nodded. They Told Khayman of what he must do but he refused and left them. I went with him begging the spirits to protect them and casting the charms I knew would not work as it would not be magic that hurt them but men and steel.

Khayman led to his chambers and there I stayed until night again fell. I was about to get up, to go to the twins again but something hit the back of my head and the last thing I saw was Khayman horror struck face. I awoke again to total darkness with the sting of a recent wound on my neck. I sighed as I realized what had happened and prayed that Khayman was okay.

I pushed myself up and carefully made my way over to the door of his chambers. I closed my eyes and sighed when I saw that it was night. I escaped from the palace following the scent of those I had been with for so long and came upon them in a tomb just as the sun peaked over the horizon.

I quickly settled myself with them and closed us off to the burning light feeling for the first time the lethargic sleep that would eventually diminish into an itch after so many years. They were surprised to find me with them when they awoke and I teased Khayman about leaving me behind. For days we went from city to city feeding and bestowing the magic on those who asked for it if only to appease Khayman's need to create worthy enemies of the Queen and King.

We could have done so forever for under the light of the moon we loved each other as we had never loved anything before but it all came to an end when we reached Saqqara and the red haired twins were captured. Khayman again took me from them and we fled to the hills knowing we could not save them now.

For years we roamed the hills and lands of the Nile River being careful in who we turned now that two of our own had been taken from us. Khayman's anger having been deflated at the loss of the twins he clung to me and I indulged him. We did whatever he wished with me interfering only when it became to dangerous for us to do so. After three thousand years the wars between the blood drinkers trickled to a stop and the mother and father were encased in stone.

It was not long after that when Khayman went into the earth. He asked me to come with him but I refused as I was curious about all the new things in the new century's. It was not until a thousand years later that I sought out the company of another. He was much younger than any vampires alive after the burning. It had been only a week after my skin had turned golden once more that I found him.

Marius was traveling by night with two slaves that had to be dimwitted if they never questioned it. I don't think he realized I was there at first but when I finally showed him I was there he was already half way to Alexandria. I did not like this but I was not the type that would stop someone from doing as they wished. I don't think he believed that I was a vampire at the time because of my sun kissed skin and the fact that I had not been burned. I found it funny that he called us Gods.

"You seek the Old Gods yet you do not believe I am one of them?" I asked him one night and he nodded. "You could not be as all the Old Gods were burned." I frowned and brought a hand up to touch my still aching skin. It had been unpleasant even if it made it easier to blend in. "Your not burned. Are you not an old god?" I asked knowing he was only a few weeks into his new life. He gave me an irritated look and in that moment he reminded me strongly of Khayman when he'd first asked me to bed him.

"I was made after the burning just as you were." he growled out and I smiled. "Or perhaps I was made so far before the burning that it merely bronzed my skin!" He snorted and went back to the book he'd been reading. He was so boring sometimes. "Perhaps you would like proof then Marius? I can tell you what you will find when you reach Egypt. You will find Akasha and Enkil. The Great Mother and Father of all blood drinkers! Ask whoever guards them about the First Blood and they will tell you of who I am. Perhaps not personally as Akasha never knew my name but they will tell you of my brothers and sisters." I left him and I knew it hurt him that I had. I was the first besides his sire that he had talked to.

He wasted time searching for me after that but eventually he gave up and I saw when he had decided he would ask about the First Blood. I left him to his quest and when I learned of his taking Akasha and Enkil to keep them safe I did not go back to him. I think that I was still so full of fire at what they'd done that I couldn't go near them without trying to destroy them as their protector had.

I traveled the world and when I did encounter Marius I would reveal myself to him only for a second before disappearing. I think he grew to expect visits from me every few years so he wasn't as desperate to find me as he had been.

I surprised him the night he made the child Armand by coming and giving my blood to the child. It was only a little, just enough to make him more powerful than he would have been had it been Marius alone. That night Marius told me of his life from the time I left him to find the Mother and Father up until I had shown myself to him to help sire Armand.

I did not tell him that I knew of the time Akasha had protected him and that I knew of all the stories she told him, nor did I tell him I knew of the mortal woman he had fallen in love with only to turn her into one such as he and loose her. I stayed for hours listening to him and just relishing the company before the sun took hold and we were forced to part if only to heed the call of slumber.

I left him after that knowing he now had someone to keep his loneliness away. He would probably continue to search for me but I could not think to go to him now. I traveled for a while again, catching up with the times and filling journal after journal with knowledge that I knew would be forgotten. I stored these in places around the world as a kind of time capsule for later generations to find and began to follow the movements of Khayman again as my old lover had dug himself up.

I was saddened when I learned that he had no memory of me or the twins but became friends with him again anyway and eventually I refused him again when he went back into the earth kissing him and promising to find him when he reemerged. I don't think he believed I'd be alive when he did so again though.

I was growing weary of life when word came to me that Armand had caused a stir. I had known for sometime that Marius had been burned for enjoying life as a mortal would and so was not surprised when I did not find him with his child. The new vampire, Lestat. Now he was one that would have had me laughing in glee had the situation not been so serious, as it was I was snickering while trying not to alert the others to my presence.

His mother stood with him defending her sire and son while a mortal that I had met once in Paris lay disoriented in a cage. Fire was slowly climbing toward him and I would have acted had Lestat not beat me to it. I watched as they all fled and caught Armand as he made to leave with them. It was just us now and he stood in submissive acceptance.

"You were the other." He said quietly and I nodded. "Why do you still live then? I thought I was the oldest." He asked and I shook my head. "Come with me Armand and we will talk." I said firmly and he allowed me to drag him from his hole and into an abandoned building. It was scheduled to be demolished tomorrow so I did not worry about ears hearing what they shouldn't.

"Why do you think you are the devils child? Surely you do not believe in such a thing. I know Marius never taught you of that nor did you learn it before being acquired by him." He looked at the ground and sighed. "The coven taught me. They said we were the devils children and that we were sent here to bedevil mankind until our demise." I nodded and pulled him to my body.

"You are no such thing. You're the child of your parents, Marius, and Myself. Not once has the devil thought of anything as he does not exist. I have met the one that created us and so I can tell you it was not the Christians version of evil." He was staring at me in disbelief and I knew he wouldn't believe me anytime soon so I left him then with a light kiss that said I would not blame him for his choice.

I followed Lestat as he made the mortal into a vampire and was saddened when Nicki couldn't handle it. Not once did I reveal myself to him, not until he had turned the plantation owner. Louis was a kindred spirit to me, another who saw things in the light as I did. At first it was just my presence that I allowed to be felt, then it became my heartbeat as I hadn't been able to force myself to get rid of it. It was a reminder of my mortality no matter how old I was.

Then I allowed for quick glimpses that I know flew over poor Louis but caught the eye and attention of Lestat. Finally one night I could no longer take watching as Louis was slowly killed by Lestat's lack of compassion and went to him in the hours before sunrise. Lestat would be hunting for his meal before the sleep took hold of him I knew.

I climbed through his window the thought that it seemed very romantic flitting through my head; I needed to get rid of the notions of the old poets. He was sitting on the bed he had, I don't know why he had it but he did. His head shot up when I entered though and he watched me in surprise. "I have brought you something." I said wondering what exactly my accent was, it wasn't British or Irish or anything else that I knew of, maybe a mix?

He frowned and I was brought out of my thoughts, or were they his? "What could you have for me when we have never met?" He asked and I smiled. Such an innocent man, he reminded me of another that I had known. I couldn't recall who it was or what they looked like but the scent of them was fresh in my mind. Instead of answering him I moved my arms to reveal a white rabbit.

"I know you do not wish to feed from humans and so I have brought you something that will be better for you than rats." Louis stared at the animal for a minute before he snatched it away and drained it. He hadn't eaten in a while as Lestat wouldn't let him eat animals. The creatures body was tossed back to me and I caught it easily. "Who are you that you know I don't eat humans?" He asked and I smiled.

"I am Harry, Harris, Peimer, Ryuuzaki, Marko, and a score of other names and personality's but the one I use now is Salazar in honor of my long dead mortal lover." He blinked and I chuckled. "How old are you?" he asked in confusion and a mischievous light entered my eyes. "Ask Lestat of the First Blood and you will know something of my age."

He sighed in frustration and I settled on a red velvet chair. "Why have you come to visit me then? Surely if you know of Lestat and whatever he did before turning me you would know where to find more vampires that could give you better company." I waved my hand as if to dispel this assessment. "You will be my company Louis. All that could talk with me about anything of importance have gone into the ground or would rather see me die and I do not wish to speak with Lestat." He blinked again and I relaxed.

"So you wish to make frivolous conversation with me?" He asked in confusion and I frowned. "No Louis, I wish to teach you of things Lestat withholds in fear of you leaving." He looked surprised and I wondered if the expression he used so freely would ever be hidden behind a mask, I didn't think so. " What can kill us? Is the story of the stake true? Will I be able to go into the sunlight without being burned? Why is Lestat so reluctant to answer my questions? Does it matter what I eat? Will I suffocate in water? What-" I cut him off with a laugh.

"I can only answer one question at a time Louis!! Now, in the order you asked me I believe the answers would be thus. Sunlight, fire, decapitation, and drinking dead blood can kill us. If you put a stake through anything's heart it will kill them but I haven't heard of anyone getting killed that way. You will be able to go into the sunlight after several thousand years. He doesn't wish you to leave, like I said. No it doesn't matter what you eat so long as you get blood, though some things are better for you than others. No you wont suffocate in water. Now take your questions more slowly please." I laughed and he blushed.

"My apologies Salazar. Can you tell me what Lestat meant when he said that vampires would see me coming but I wouldn't see them?" I sighed and stretched in the plush red chair. "Most that have an idea of their power learn first how to detect things by their thoughts. They'd hear you thinking before you would them as Lestat has decided not to teach you how to do this." He nodded and I froze.

"I must leave now Louis before Lestat finds that I've been here. If you need me just call for me, I will return another night." I flashed a smile at him before dropping out the window and racing away. I didn't like that I could not stay but I knew that Lestat would be very angry with Louis if he found me there. I stayed away for days until Louis called to me. He was an emotional wreck and I soon knew why.

Lestat had somehow gotten him to drink from a young girl and then he had turned her. I held him as he clung to my silk shirt. His bloody tears soaking into the expensive fabric and his desperate pleas that I not hate him ringing in my ears. I could not understand why it would matter to him if I liked him or not but I told him that it was not his fault and that my hate was reserved for very few.

"Why do you comfort me Salazar?" I was startled by this question but I answered him honestly nonetheless "I care for you Louis. You are very much like someone I knew in another life and time. He too hated the curse that had forced him out of society though he was not a vampire. Perhaps I shall tell you about him later, when we wont have to worry about me leaving at Lestat's arrival." I left him again and he did not call for years afterward.

I still followed them though I knew he would not call on me until he could leave Lestat for good. The child Claudia grew in mind but not body and became a bitter woman because of what was denied her. A child's body could not have sex Claudia. Lestat had once said to her. She had turned to Louis after that and after much planning got him to help her dispose of Lestat.

He called me several nights afterward and told me in a quiet voice what they'd done. "Can we not stay with you now Salazar?" He had asked and I'd smiled sadly at him which I knew startled him. I was never sad after all. Not when I visited Louis. "She will not be happy with me Louis. She might seek to do to me what she did to him. It would not be wise." His face had crumbled into a look of utter hopelessness and I had pulled him to me.

"I will always come to you my Louis, but I cannot come to her. She will not be able to survive the times as I know you will, not with her dissatisfaction at her child's body. I will leave now but remember that I can always hear your call no matter where I am." I kissed him softly on the lips and gently removed him from my lap then left to again wait for his call.

The two traveled for quite some time before they stumbled upon the Theater of the Vampires. I was not pleased with Armand but I did not interfere. I watched them flee without Claudia and her 'mother' while the whole building burned to the ground. Armand could feel me even if he couldn't hear me. He was careful in what he did after that.

Soon the two separated and Armand was left to himself trying to adjust to the new ages. Lestat had gone into the earth and Louis was traveling again hoping to find some sign of me before he tried to call. He was afraid I would not hear him or that I would find it was him who had killed all those vampires. I let him see me once we were in Britain and he almost screamed my name.

"Salazar!! I have missed you, where have you been this whole time?!" He asked in excitement and I smiled warmly at him. "I have been near you since our last meeting Louis, I told you to call me if you wished my presence." He blushed and looked at the ground sheepishly. "I wasn't sure you would hear me." Was his explanation and I accepted the silent apology with a nod.

We stayed together until Lestat became a rock star. He left me to help protect his sire from the Mother. I decided not to get involved unless I was asked to and went in search of my original family. They should have been born by now.

POV change

Remus Lupin was out after dark. His mother had told him not to be because there were creatures in the forest around their cottage that would just as soon eat him as spare his life. He was five years old though so such monsters didn't scare him! He was a big boy after all!! He was wishing he had listened to his mother now however, because something kept rustling in the bushes and he was beginning to get scared.

The cottage was in sight and he was almost home when it happened. The thing in the bushes jumped out of them and attached itself to his arm. He screamed in terror and pain as it ripped at the flesh there and collapsed to the ground as it was suddenly gone and a man was standing above him. "You've been bitten." Came the quiet voice and Remus could do nothing but sob and clutch his arm.

"Come on little one, I'll take you home and see what can be done about your injury." The young boy felt oddly reassured by this stranger and let himself be carried as he tried to quiet his sobs. His mother would already be angry with him for not listening. "You live in the cottage yes?" He nodded and sniffled again holding back a whimper as his wound was jostled.

The man didn't bother knocking and just entered startling the two people that had been sipping tea in the kitchen. "Your son was attacked by a werewolf, his wound needs to be dressed before he dies of blood loss." Remus wasn't sure what happened after that but the next time he awoke he was warm and traveling in a flying carriage.

The man that had saved him was reading a book and a note in his mothers hand writing was hovering a few inches in front of him. It read…

**Dear Remus,**

**No doubt you are wondering why you aren't at home in your own bed. The answer is simple. You are now a werewolf and as you know your father and I cannot accept that. You are no longer a Johnson and as such can no longer live in this house with us. We loved you until you were infected and the man you are with has agreed to raise you. A vault was set up at Gringotts for school if they let you in.**

**Isabella Johnson**

Tears filled the once brown eyes. His mother didn't love him anymore and a stranger that wasn't even acknowledging his presence was going to be taking care of him now. Amber eyes closed and a sob wracked the tiny body. He was startled when warm hands pulled him into a comfortable lap and Remus opened his eyes to find that his new care taker was looking at him in a concerned way.

"Are you alright Remus?" He asked worriedly and the little boy nodded. "Well if your sure your okay I think I should explain some things to you then. First of all my name is Romulus Lupin and I am a vampire. Now don't be afraid! I'm not going to bite you or anything! I live in a forest in France. You are perfectly welcome to go down to the village whenever you want during the day so long as you let me know." The two of them fell quiet and the carriage landed.

"Welcome Remus, to Lenore**[1]** Manor!" Several days later found the young werewolf running through the halls screeching in laughter and calling for his guardian. "ROMULUS!! ROMULUUUUUUUUS!!!" He screeched and giggled again as he was scooped into a pair of strong arms and swung around. "Romulus, someone is here to see you!! She says she's the granddaughter of an old friend of yours and she said to tell you she has red hair and green eyes!!" Romulus blinked and carried Remus with him back to the door.

It was surprising that the little boy had gotten over being disowned so quickly and had gotten used to being at Lenore Manor but he tallied that up Remus being a child that was never really shown affection before. Sure his parents said they loved him but no parent who really loved their child would disown them because they were turned into a werewolf.

They stopped when he caught sight of the woman that resembled his long time friends. She looked almost exactly like the red haired twins had. "How can I help you miss?" He asked politely. Remus wriggled in his grip and he adjusted the boy so they were more comfortable and Remus was resting on his hip instead of being held against his chest. "My ancestor, Maharet, said to find Harris and Louis said that you'd changed your name to Salazar. It took a while but I found the fledgling that Lestat made before going into the ground and he said you'd changed your name to Romulus." The woman said quickly and Romulus blinked.

She was invited inside and Romulus set Remus down on the ground. "And why have you been sent to find me?" He asked leading her down the hall and into a cozy room with a couch and some chairs as well as a desk and three walls full of books. "The Mother has risen and is trying to kill all the men in the world. She's destroyed almost all the vampires that sprang from the blood and has only spared us because she either can't kill us or she wants our help." Romulus nodded.

"Maharet wants you to come and help destroy her." Remus tugged on Romulus' sleeve "If you go can I come with you? I don't want to be left here alone." A warm smile was his answer and the child relaxed. "I'll help Maharet and Mekare destroy Akasha but it is to be noted that as soon as my charge is injured there will be hell to pay." A nod and small smile later the two males were packing.

They arrived at the jungle home of Maharet and Remus agreed to share the name Lupin with Romulus. The young boys guardian was pulled around to the various people several of whom had been his lovers before Remus had gotten quite annoyed and attached himself to Romulus. He now glared at anyone who came to close and was generally regarded as a cute child by the women and annoying by the men.

Romulus himself thought it was all very funny and allowed Remus his clinging. He learned quickly that Lestat had been coerced into being the Mother's prince, anything else was already known to him, and he just sat and listened to the others as they argued or told of the past. He was approached by Khayman once but the ancient vampire had just wanted to catch up on what was going on this century.

Akasha arrived with Lestat several days later and was quickly dispatched by Mekare who became the Mother. The vampires disbanded and remained separated into three groups as far as Romulus knew. The First Blood, The New Age's, and himself. When Remus turned 11 Romulus sent him off to Hogwarts and received letters almost everyday telling Romulus about how wonderful Hogwarts was or how mean this Slytherin or that Slytherin had been.

He was told in the summer after fourth year about how nice Remus' friends were because they hadn't hated him for being a werewolf and how they had even become Animagi to keep him company. In sixth year he agreed to let Remus bring his friends over for the summer.

That was why he was currently walking around with bright red and gold hair and dark pink robes. He didn't mind it all that much but he knew Remus was chastising his friends for pranking the one man that could and might kill them for it. He had no doubt that Remus didn't believe a word he was spouting but it still made him laugh.

The old vampire got them back for it though. The three non-Lupins were walking around Lenore Manor in Slytherin colors for the next three weeks. The boys left for the last year of school in good spirits and promised to send him an authentic Hogwarts house table. It arrived halfway through the year and was just as promptly replaced by a twinkling headmaster. Romulus set the one sent to him up in the dinning room.

At the end of that year he attended the wedding of James Potter and Lily Evans wishing them the best of luck. No one thought to question him on why he was in the sun. At least no one who knew about his being a vampire. He hugged the two as they went off for their honey moon and gave Remus permission to invite whomever he wished to Lenore Manor.

There was a party in celebration of the marriage that the Headmaster attended. The old man had wanted for quite some time to know who was taking care of Remus Lupin. He was surprised to find that not one person in the room that he didn't know looked much older than the rest of the Hogwarts graduates. "Remus my boy, where is your guardian?" He asked curiously and turned when the dancing werewolf pointed across the room.

A pale man had his arms hanging lightly from the shoulders of a handsome blond man. The blond had his hands on the brunets hips and they looked to be conversing in low tones. An amused smirk revealed the blond to be a vampire and Dumbledor tensed up immediately. How had one of those gotten in? He had felt the wards himself, they were almost as strong as the ones on Hogwarts!!

"Excuse me Mr.?" Dumbledor asked looking questioningly at Romulus. "My name is Romulus Lupin Headmaster and this is my friend Lestat." Dumbledor smiled uneasily. "Yes well I was just wondering who it was that has taken care of Remus these past few years. Are you a relative?" There was a snicker from the blond and Romulus shook his head.

"I have been his guardian why? Has he done something that I should know about?" Dumbledor stared in shock at the young man. If what he said was true then that could only mean Romulus too was a vampire. "Yes Professor I am one as well and Remus knows it too. So do his friends for that matter now if you would please stop staring it would be much appreciated." A snicker turned into muffled laughter as Lestat buried his head in Harry's neck.

The brunet nudged him and Lestat calmed down smiling cheerfully at the Headmaster who was staring gob smacked at the two dark creatures. "I thought…." He was interrupted by Romulus who leaned back a bit and yelled across the room. "You touch it and I'll lay out rat traps Pettigrew!!" Peter jumped in surprise and quickly stashed the potion he'd been about to pour into the punch in his robes. "What ever do you mean Rommy?"

The old vampire sent Sirius a glare at the nickname and muttered threats of death loud enough for the vampire next to him and the headmaster to hear. "I would ask you to kindly refrain from threatening my students Mr. Lupin." Romulus snorted and turned away from Dumbledor to continue dancing and chatting with Lestat in Gothic. The blond had just acquired the skill from a language scholar.


	4. Anne Rice Vampires HP 2

Dusty blue walls and cobweb infested corners went unnoticed as dull green eyes scanned the floor where patches of dried blood made the carpet shift colors for only a second before it was the dusty white that was so familiar. Pale, thin fingers trailed across the lackluster face of a table leaving a gleaming trail behind as the dust was wiped away. Foot prints made the only clean patches as they lead from the kitchen into the living room, which was equally unlived in and from there went up a flight of steps that lead to a dark hall.

A haunting song echoed through the home that wasn't, that had chills running up a spine. That song had been heard only once before but the implications of it had been known throughout the world. "Ring around the rosies, pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes we all fall down." A second voice had joined the first and created the beginnings of a spell that had once plagued the people of Europe, the rest had been lost in the downfall of the Dark Lord that had created it.

A violinists hand stretched out and turned a dull brass knob opening the last room of the house. This room was sparkling clean compared to the rest of the building and had the only thing of value to the young man that had made the journey through it. A cherry red violin sat on a velveteen stand, a matching bow displayed on the table before it with a book full of old songs. The pages had yellowed with age but he had learned to memorize the music many years ago.

A ghostly image drifted into the room and seemingly sat in midair. "Play for me?" The voice of the first to sing that dreadful spell echoed through the room but pale pink lips just curved into a smile and a slow tune rang out of the wooden instrument. A thin body swayed to the funeral march and the ghost laughed in delight. "You always know just how to cheer me up!" it cried out in mirth and began to waltz around in the space above the man playing.

The dance was out of beat with the music but neither seemed to care and the melody went on changing as the mood varied between them but staying always the same. The door opened again and the ghost scowled at the woman that had entered. "Who invited you, squib?" it asked snidely and the music came to a sudden, echoing halt.

Wide green eyes sparked for the first time with something. It wasn't fear but neither human nor spirit could tell what it meant. "You are unwelcome here Ms. Figg. You shouldn't have followed me." The voice was as dead as the eyes had been moments before and the old woman went cold. "You mustn't come here to play Harry. It's bad for you."

A harsh laugh dropped into the air and the woman jumped in surprise. "It isn't any worse for me than it is for you. Dumbledor is just afraid his pawn will begin to think on his own if he's left in the company of ghosts for to long. Go back to your cats and your wizards without me as I will not be going back into that world again. Voldemort will not attack you so long as you do not hinder him." He turned away from her and began to play again.

This song was more aggressive and made the specter flinch. "You have made him angry now. I will have to leave if I do not wish to be destroyed. Good job squib." He sneered one last time and flew out of the room quickly to avoid the power that was beginning to leak from the man. "Harry please…" she was cut off as a wave of magic hit her and she disappeared with a pop.

The occupants of 12 Grimmuald Place jumped in surprise as the old woman appeared and dropped onto the table in front of them. "Arabella! What happened?" Dumbledor asked in alarm. The old woman lifted her head and looked into his eyes muttering only two words. "Harry's gone." before falling unconscious. As if those words were a signal the entirety of the Order of the Phoenix that had been in the kitchen stirred into life.

People began to leave so they could Apparate to the one place Harry had spent most of his time since school had ended. All that is, except for one Remus John Lupin. He was sitting in the corner laughing quietly to himself about the hopelessness of their trying to stop his cub. "You'll never make it." he murmured before getting up and going to his room to rest. It was a full moon tonight after all.

Everyone appeared at nearly the same time in front of the abandoned Dursley residence but when they went in they found that their savior had already fled leaving behind a cackling and insane ghost that wasn't about to tell them where he had gone. Said ghost vanished shortly after to go back to haunting the dungeons of Malfoy Manor.

In a darkened alley in New Orleans a lone figure stood with a violin case smiling in an eerily vacant way up at the stars. "And they all fall down." Harry grinned suddenly, exposing sharp fangs to the just rising moon. "Won't you be surprised to see me." he sang to himself and laughed before starting on his way toward a rundown building covered in weeds and other various plants.

He climbed in through the window and ignored the moldy piles of books as he walked to a room that was filled with more things than the rest of the house. He sat in the armchair that was starting to fall apart and opened the case pulling out his violin. He played quietly not wanting to alert the mortals to his presence.

After a while a hand burst through the floor and Harry stopped. He carefully set the violin aside and grasped it pulling until the body attached came through. "Its good to see you didn't actually kill yourself Lestat. There were rumors that you'd gone into the fire." The dirty blond stared at him with wide eyes.

"Nicki?" Harry grinned and fluttered his eyes slightly. "I'm so glad you remember me monsieur."

Lestat cried out and hugged him. Harry, ignoring the dry shriveled appearance, hugged him back. "You have no idea how much I missed you when they said you went into the fire!! I thought you were gone forever!" Harry shushed him and rubbed his back. "Do not fret so Lestat. I to thought I was lost to the bliss of eternal sleep but it was not to be. I awoke some time after that just as you have now and learned to live in this world." He smiled slightly still holding to shaking form of his sire.

"I found that I could take on the shape of a child and did so growing up with mortals and fearing nothing but discovery! I do not need to hide from the sun Lestat!" he laughed and pulled away. "I have only now managed to escape those that were part of my mortal life to find you." He looked the aristocrat over and a small frown pulled on his lips.

"We must get you something to eat monsieur! You have wasted away in the ground!" he sat Lestat down in the armchair he had vacated and left returning after a few minutes with a sleeping woman. "Feed my friend, there is much you need to know about this century." Lestat hungrily drank from the woman and the other victims Harry, or should we say Nicolas, brought him.

The blond vampire filled out quickly and the two sat with Lestat in Nicolas' lap talking about various things they had seen or done through out the years. Lestat explained about various vampires and how they were created. Nicolas was a bit skeptical but he didn't protest or contradict as Lestat seemed as if he'd die at any rejection from him.

"Monsieur! Perhaps we should go somewhere else? Or find a place to rest as the sun will be up soon?" He asked after the blond had quieted. Lestat agreed readily and continued to cling to Nicolas as he carried him out of the house and into a crypt. "I'm afraid we will have to share space with the dead tonight monsieur, I did not have time to secure a safe place for us and I do not think I can stand the smell of all those musty books for to long." he said quietly and Lestat nodded.

"I don't mind. I've slept in worse places." he murmured before yawning. Nicolas smiled down at him and kicked the lid off the coffin climbing in he laid his burden down next to the corps and settled in next to him ignoring the bones that dug into his back. "Sleep now Lestat for when we wake I will show you the world as it is now. Both worlds." He pulled the lid back on and fell asleep.

Nicolas awoke and froze at the unfamiliar surroundings before he felt Lestat shift against him. "Are you awake Nicki?" Nicolas nodded and shifted so his legs were braced against the stone lid. He pushed up and knocked it off with a scraping sound. "I hate coffins." he muttered and glared at the stone lid. Lestat snickered and Nicolas pouted. "You're so mean to me." he sniffled then climbed out of the coffin.

Lestat laughed and followed him out of the cemetery. "So where are we going to go Nicki? I know nothing of this world you know." Nicolas laughed and nodded. "Yes I know. I thought we'd check out the American Wizarding Community in New Orleans before we did much else. I have only ever experienced England's and they tend to be idiots." he led them toward a building that nearly glowed with magic.

"The portal is here." He said stopping in front of the boarded up window. He pulled out his wand and pressed a dark knot in the wood. Lestat gasped as the wall opened up and a bustling street appeared to them. It was full of younger people going to clubs and the open night shops.

"You mustn't feed from them Lestat. Though their blood is much sweeter than a non-magical persons they know about vampires, or at least some of them, and would start a hunt for us if they found the victim." Lestat nodded though reluctantly and stopped watching the people so closely. "Where are we going?" he finally asked and Nicolas smiled.

"There is a coven meeting taking place in one of the Vampire Bars. The American Ministry know about these bars and tend to let us do what we want with those that wander in. Its clearly stated that it is a Vampire Bar so people over 17 have no excuse and are therefore free game. I think that going to this meeting will help with your understanding of the magical community. They're explaining it all to new vampires that were muggles, those are what we call non-magical people.

They walked silently the rest of the way and passed through a bar then a back room filled with wizards and witch's that had come for the sole purpose of being fed off of until they were in a large room almost like a theater. "Mortals aren't allowed in here Lestat." Nicolas said soothingly and carefully pried the woman he'd grabbed from the blonds arms. "You may drink your fill after you learn of the magical world." He said and Lestat nodded though he watched the woman as she stumbled back into the other room drunk on scotch and wine.

They settled into chairs at the very back and Lestat laughed. "I remember all the times I'd bug you until you agreed to go to the private box with me at plays. You always used to get so irritated that I wouldn't leave you in piece." Nicolas chuckled. "I still don't like sitting out of the crowd you know. It makes it easier for people to spot you if your singled out in a box or on the balcony." He twirled a piece of hair as he stared at the slowly filling rows ahead.

"Vampires these days are always so boring. They practically wear a uniform now! Its always black on black with a nice white undershirt!" Nicolas huffed. "I know now why you loved that wolf fur cloak so much!" He said and rolled his eyes as a girl in a black dress with black makeup on hissed at him.

"And they all seem to think that they need to be enamored with death and decay. I tried once to start a conversation on how well the ministry's in other country's did compared to the British and was nearly bored to tears by some fledgling going on and on about how well one could kill a minister. Its simply horrible." He sniffed and smiled slightly as Lestat laughed.

"That does sound like you." he said between chuckles. They ignored the looks they were getting for their brightly colored clothing, both were decked out in red fabrics, and continued to make fun of those around them. Everyone quieted when someone walked onto the stage and an hour later Lestat was shaking Nicolas awake. "You tell me to pay attention!" he cried in mock outrage and they both fell into quiet laughter.

A boy, and it really was as he looked to be about 9 or 10, came over to them with an annoyed look. "Would you two please shut up?! And why are you wearing red? Are you trying to draw attention to yourselves? Who is your sire? I will have words with him for letting you two come here alone!" Nicolas grinned and pointed at Lestat. "Well he's my sire but he just came out of the ground so I thought he'd like to know what was going on.

The boy snorted. "You think I'm going to believe that? There are no vampires old enough to have gone into the ground left. Now I suggest you tell me who you are and who your sire is." Nicolas sighed heavily. "You have caught us monsieur. I am Nicolas de Lenfent and this is my sire Lestat de Lioncourt or as you might know it from someone else de Valois. I'm not sure where you would have heard that name though." He grinned cheekily.

The child gasped and took a step back. "But that is impossible!! It is documented at the theater of the vampires that you went into the fire and it is rumored that he did as well! He hasn't been seen for over a hundred years!" Nicolas shrugged. "Perhaps I did not like death as much as I would have thought and came back? And perhaps I felt that it was time I reunited with my sire." he purred out and the boy scowled again.

"Regardless of that you should not be dressed as you are. It is inappropriate for a vampire to where anything but black with one article of white clothing. You will have to change before I allow you to leave. We cannot afford being discovered so easily because you two were cocky." Nicolas wrinkled his nose and Lestat laughed silently beside him.

"How old are you?" Nicolas asked and the boy answered promptly that he was 104 years old which would make him of a very high standing indeed inside of the American Coven. "Of course you are. Well while you may be older than most of these idiots I've met people that are older than written record. They dress even worse then we do and have yet to be suspected." he said sweetly and pressed slightly against Lestat.

"And unless you've somehow forgotten, the ministry's know of the existence of vampires and these bars. Plus it draws more attention when multitudes of black clad idiots gather in one place then when people dressed in various colors do. You practically advertise when you have meetings." He turned away from the boy as if he weren't a threat and waved happily to the man that had been speaking.

The man laughed and waved back then made his way over. "Are you harassing my children Lenfent?" Nicolas feigned innocence. "Of course not Zechs! I wouldn't ever! I want to introduce you to my sire though. Lestat this is Zechs Marquise coven leader of America, Zechs this is Lestat de Valois my sire!" the two bowed to each other.

"Its nice to meet the reason I hardly get any sleep lately." Zechs said dryly giving Nicolas a pointed look. He, of course, ignored it in favor of making childish faces at the boy who was now red in embarrassment. "Annoyance? Nicki? Whatever could you mean?" Lestat asked innocently looking up at the ceiling in an obvious way. Zechs laughed and shook his head.

"This is My 31st child Joshua. I'm afraid he likes to keep everyone dressed in black." he shot the boy a disapproving look and sighed. "I'm afraid however that we'll have to be going. Someone from Britain wanted to know our standing in the war." Nicolas froze. "Your standing? It wouldn't happen to be Dumbledor would it?" Zechs nodded and settled back to find out why that would matter to the usually childish and carefree vampire.

"To him I'm Harry Potter just so you know. He'll want to know if your going to join him or not and if you say no he'll most likely paint you as part of the Dark Lords forces even if you state your not going to take a side. Its just a warning but you should be careful and watch out for anything and everything he says or does as well as what's in the room with you. He has a way of tricking you into doing what he wants." Zechs nodded and left followed closely by Joshua.


	5. Loveless HP

Harry sighed as he flopped back down onto his bed in the Leakey Cauldron. He was tired, that much was true, but at the same time he couldn't seem to get rid of the energy and magic flowing through his body. At any other time this would have been a good thing, it kept Voldemort from getting into his head, but Voldemort wasn't alive anymore and so it was just annoying.

Well there were more pressing matters to attend to anyway. Now that Voldemort was dead what was expected of him? Sure he could hold his own in a duel with most if not all of the powerful wizards of the era and yes he had gotten good marks on his N.E.W.T.s and O.W.L.s but what could he really do with himself? He had fulfilled his promise and purpose, had gotten rid of Voldemort and avenged the deaths of those close to him. Harry Potter, Boy-Who-Lived, Man-Who-Killed-The-Dark-Lord, and lonely sole in a sea of celebration, had nothing left keeping him connected to the wizarding world.

Ron, ever the faithful friend, had been one of the first to go down at the wand of his older brother Percy, Hermione Granger was found mutilated on Hogwarts grounds next. Fred and George were missing and Remus had gone so far underground to escape the stress of his pack and his friends warring against one another that no one had been able to get any clear idea as to where he was.

Dull green eyes slowly blinked and Harry rolled over ignoring the quiet murmurings of the pub below him. It was probably as loud as a muggle club down there but he didn't want to bother with a silencing charm. It made him feel not so alone with the faint noises reaching him. He'd lost faith in Albus Dumbledor long ago and the man knew it. There was no one keeping him here as much as he loved his still remaining friends and family, it just reminded him to much of bad things.

It would take the world weeks to notice, if they did at all, that he was missing. He'd give his friends two weeks at the least because he often disappeared after large battles like this. Harry was the only one that knew where he went and the 18 year old intended to keep it that way. Maybe he'd go hide out there for a while? Soubi had offered him a place to crash for however long he needed once the war was over and it wasn't like the man was more than a year older than him.

Over the past two years that Harry had been training and disappearing he'd come to be very good at the Japanese language so _that_ wasn't a problem. Kio could go and hang himself for all Harry cared because the young wizard knew Soubi would never have anyone but his Beloved. Now that Beloved was dead though he wondered how his friend was doing. He hadn't been around for the past couple of months and as far as Harry knew there could have been some major changes dealt to the college students lifestyle in that time.

Well, there was only one way to find out he supposed. "Pack." He didn't feel like moving right then, he'd just let his magic do the work for him this time. Its what it was for anyway right? The teen snorted and slowly crawled higher onto his bed and kicked off his boots after muttering a spell to untie them. He cared little for the blood and other unsavory things that were still clinging to him only to happy to fall into slumber.

The powerful wizard awoke when the moon was reaching its highest peak in the sky. To his amusement the noise from the party could still be heard through his floor and all of his things had been neatly packed and arranged next to his bed. A wave of his wand and a simple cleaning charm stopped anyone from getting angry about messy sheets and Harry dropped the money he owed the barkeep onto h is pillow before Apparating out.

The feel of squeezing, imploding doom was longer than usual but he convinced himself not to panic long enough for him to reappear in the oriental country of Japan. He blinked as two boys stared at him wide eyed. They appeared to be about the same age and were in Soubi's apartment. Much to his confusion, and secret relief, the two called for the afore mentioned artist in unison obviously a bit freaked out.

Harry smiled brightly at the sight of Soubi with his hair up and paint smeared on one cheek. His glasses were askew and he just looked mussed in general. "Good afternoon Soubi! What's with the brats? Was Kio's complaints about you having a Lolita complex in his letters true?" The man looked annoyed and muttered something about not being a pervert before going back to his painting. Harry shrugged this off and wandered down the hall to his usual bedroom.

"You can't go in there." He looked over his shoulder at the child who'd spoken. He was frowning unhappily at the wizard and seemed quite put out by Soubi's lack of explanation. Harry smiled down at him in amusement "And why not? This is my room after all." The boy's frown deepened "If it's your bedroom how come we've never seen you here before?"

Harry pushed his door open and tossed his luggage on the bed as the pair followed him in. Eyeing the wine and absinth colored ears amusedly, Harry waved his hand to let his things unpack. The cat boys jumped in a startled fashion "How did you do that?" The red head asked and Harry grinned widely at them.

Instead of answering, he concentrated and then partially morphed into his animagus form to create a pair of black ears and a fluffy, but still sleek, black tail. It swished languidly behind him as he continued doing little acts of magic to confuse the two boys while cleaning his room. When he was done the thick coating of dust looked as if it had never been there.

Zero stopped trying to get him to answer questions and instead glanced around the room. They'd been forbidden to enter here as long as they'd lived in Soubi's house and were extremely curious. Natsuo trailed his fingers along the spines of all sorts of books while Youji amused himself with the various stacks of papers.

They would have looked at some of the more interesting things if it weren't for the titles on these items. For the books it was "Nagisa-sensei's ZERO Project: Early Stages" and "Word Spell Battles of the Seven Moons" that caught Natsuo's eye. Over In the papers Youji was avidly reading through all the notes and observations Harry had made whenever he'd been fortunate enough to come into contact with anyone remotely related to Fighter/Sacrifice pairs.

For his part, Harry didn't much care that they were going through his things. None of it was very secretive amongst those of their world and he could feel the complicated bond of a Pair. "Harry, you here?" The call made all three of them glance at the open door. A grin split the dark haired wizards face as he realized who'd called.

Turning to the Zero pair, Harry motioned towards his things "Just don't damage any of it and you can look through everything you like." With those generous words he shot out of the room and toppled Kio over. The artist nearly choked on his sucker while laughing at the cat eared man in his arms "Energetic much?"

Harry stole the cherry flavored sucker with a happy little sound. "Well I've been away for a looooong time Kio! Then I come back and find two brats telling me I can't go into my own room! Why does Soubi have little boys staying with him? They have ears so I'm not to worried he's done something illegal to them."

Natsuo motioned to his partner as the tail end of the conversation caught his attention. "I notice you didn't say that it would be a bad thing if he did something to them."

A quiet laugh and Youji wandered over "Considering that he only let me stay because I looked like Seimei when I was a kid, I think it would be just fine for him to get over his fixation." The green eared boy bristled at the sound of that.

"Calm down, he doesn't know about us." the other said. Both boys were startled at the slightly creepy voice behind them.

Soubi grinned down at them "Actually, he does. Harry showed up during the last month of Seimei's life all cut up. He had terrible nightmares of losing his partners, a pair of twins that went missing. He can't really remember what happened for them to get separated, but he can't feel the link anymore." Natsuo blinked up at Soubi.

If what Beloved's fighter unit said was true, then there was a pair that wasn't. Hadn't Nagisa-sensei mentioned them before? A split soul made whole by the broken kitten? "I think we should get to know him better Youji. He seems like a very interesting person." Youji grinned at his partner, he'd been thinking the exact same thing.


	6. Gundam Wing HP

Harry trailed his fingers lovingly over the silver cover of his laptop. He'd bought it on his sixteenth birthday as a present to himself and had since transferred all of his parchment and notebooks onto the writing program. There was over a million pages of information, but Harry knew Hermione would be scandalized over most of it. Hell, she'd probably die before reading his books, though Ron would probably like them.

Green eyes flickered up to glance around the park he'd settled himself in. There were a few boys messing around on the play equipment, a couple taking a romantic walk along a more secluded path, and an old man walking his dog. It was to early in the morning for children to be wandering around.

He opened the computer and smiled at the quiet hum that started up almost immediately after he pressed the proper button. He still had to live with the Dursley's since he wasn't seventeen yet, but at least he could get away and work on things he actually liked now.

_Jonathan screamed as entrails flew passed his head and tried to back up. He was already against a wall, however, and couldn't move any further away. "Oh god, please! NO!" he cried, but it was to late. The creature had already scented him and was even now pinning him against the wall with dull purple eyes._

_Was this how he was going to die? Alone and terrified? It seemed like it to the shaking man as the creature slowly advanced. It's crooning was sweet and he could just close his eyes and pretend he wasn't there. Could just forget about it's pincher like hands, viciously clawed feet, fanged teeth dripping with the blood of his family._

_He whimpered quietly and opened his eyes. As soon as he did he wished he hadn't. The thing was right in front of him, its putrid breath fanning over his face. A spiked appendage shot forward into his stomach and he screamed a horrible, wretched sound. _

_Black spots danced before his eyes, death darkened his vision, and with his last breath he opened his mouth and said-_ "Hi! What are you doing?"

Harry tensed and peeked over the top of his laptop. One of the boys from earlier was leaning forward and smiling curiously at him. A long brown braid was dangling over his shoulder, swaying in the slight breeze. A blond jogged over and pulled at his friends arm, making him stand straight. "Duo! Don't come over and bother people, it's rude."

The disapproving frown made Harry quirk his lips a little. "I was writing it's my hobby when I have time to kill. Why did you want to know?" The long haired boy stuck his tongue out at the blond and turned a bright smile on Harry.

"Well you looked like you were concentrating really hard. I figured it must be something interesting since you're about our age and I would never concentrate like that." The blond snorted and this time Harry bit back a smile.

Another boy came over and cleared his throat. The two that had seemed friendly enough sighed. "Right, well it was nice talking to you. We have to go though." Harry quirked his lips as Duo walked away with an exaggerated sulky expression. He'd probably only wanted to cause mischief, but it was still amusing. Turning back to his computer, Harry continued typing as if nothing had happened.

Nearly a week later Harry was walking through the streets of London. He'd taken a muggle bus, exchanged some galleons for pounds, and was now eating lunch at a quaint café. It was a favorite of several famous authors because of how close it was to the publishing agency. He tended to meet his editor there, but today he'd only stopped by to enjoy some of his favorite coffee.

The enjoyment was short lived however. Almost as soon as he'd finished his cup an explosion rocked the ground. A quick glance up told him it wasn't magical, the military was probably having a battle near by. Still, the people rushing about in a panic was enough to put him off of another cup and he quickly left.

Arriving in Surrey a while later, Harry found his eyes drawn to a moving truck on the other side of the street and a ways down. He'd known that the empty house had been bought, but he hadn't thought anyone would really want to move in. It was such a…well _normal_ neighborhood if you ignored the closeness to the military base.


	7. Gundam Wing HP 2

Green eyes looked up from the laptop they'd been focused on and slim fingers paused, hovering over the keys. Across from him was a boy with soft blond hair and an even softer looking face. They'd met the one time he'd gone to the colony's with his relatives, Ms. Figg had been on vacation, and had kept contact via the library computers and an e-mail account they'd set up together.

He'd been the first one to learn of Harry's birthday present to himself, a shiny new laptop, and the only one to have any idea of how very skilled Harry was with it. He also knew that Harry was a powerful wizard, though he didn't know he was famous as well.

"Quatre, what a pleasant surprise. You didn't tell me you would be in town today." Harry closed the lid of his laptop and slid it to the side so it was out of the way. He raised his hand to signal a waiter and glanced curiously at Quatre. When he received a negative shake of the head he ordered a coffee for himself.

They remained quiet until he was sipping the hot beverage. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was coming Harry. It was kind of a heat of the moment decision if you know what I mean." A small grimace let Harry know that Quatre and whoever was with him hadn't had a choice in the matter.

Another sip of his coffee to hide an amused smile. "It's good to know you only visit when forced to. I feel very appreciated."

Red stained the pale cheeks and Quatre glanced off to the side. "You know I appreciate you Harry, you're one of my best friends and pretty much the only one I have regular contact with. It's just that I don't really have time to stop by and say hello and we really need your help."

Harry frowned worriedly at the almost pleading note in Quatre's voice. "I was only teasing you my friend, what is it you need of me? You know I'm always willing to help a pretty face." Quatre's relieved and slightly exasperated smile eased his fears.

"You always were a flatterer Harry. You remember when I fell and scraped my knee when we were kids? Well another friend of mine fell and scraped more than his knee and our usual doctor is out of town." Harry's frown returned full force. One of the pilots had been injured and Quatre couldn't get a doctor that could fix it.

Both of them had told each other as much detail as they dared about their respective training. They gauged the abilities and probable strength of one another fairly accurately. Because of this Quatre knew Harry was a level four mediwizard. Unregistered, but trained by Poppy Pomphrey when they'd both gotten bored during his numerous visits to the infirmary.

Those visits had become voluntary, and injury free, when they'd discovered he had a knack for healing magic. When he'd returned to his relatives for the summer he'd read up on the healing things in the local library and borrowed books from the university library as well. Because of this he had a pretty good understanding of how muggles did things as well, so there was no worry over discovery.

"Well, I'm done with my coffee so if you would like to lead the way?" He motioned for Quatre to go first and left enough to pay for the coffee and a good tip on the table. The laptop was tucked away into his messenger bag before they left the café.

One would never guess that the quaint house they arrived at was harboring five of the most dangerous muggle terrorists in the world. Harry didn't pause to think about this though. Instead he passed Quatre and slipped into the house, ignoring the gun pointed at him entirely.

He didn't pay the explaining blond any mind as he climbed the stairs, following the sound of almost panicked voices. A long haired brunet was pushed out of the way as soon as he entered the brightly lit room. A boy lay pale and still on top of blood stained sheets, his breathing shallow.

Harry eyed him with a calculating look that would have startled anyone who knew him. The bag at his hip was rummaged in as Quatre and the person who had met him at the door came in. "How long has he been like this?" He didn't look up to see who answered, to busy coaxing potions down the boys throat.

"He got the injury about twenty minutes ago. Quatre went to find his contact in London as soon as we were free of the battle field. I assume you're he?" Harry snorted and carefully cut the bloody shirt from the boys torso. A few more cuts and he had a completely naked person laying before him.

Quatre was only slightly surprised that Harry refrained from making a perverted comment like he usually would. Even when Quatre had been eleven and Harry thirteen the older man had acted and spoke in a flirty or perverted manner. He knew that it was only around himself or others that Harry was comfortable with, but that didn't stop him from blushing every time.

Four of the five pilots watched silently, sometimes wincing, as Harry quickly cleaned then patched Trowa up. Most of the cuts only needed bandages, but some of them were deep enough to warrant a few stitches. Some cream was applied to help reduce swelling and bruising before he moved away with a quiet sigh.

When he broke the silence the four pilots tensed up. "He'll be fine now, just let him sleep, give him orange juice when he wakes up, and don't let him pull those stitches. You're lucky he didn't have any broken bones, but I still want him to be extremely careful when moving. Several joints were severely stressed during whatever got him tenderized."

"Now, I believe you four have only just arrived from whatever battle you were just in so why don't you show me where you're hurt?" Green eyes glared shrewdly at a suddenly sheepish Quatre. "Don't even try it Winner, I saw the way you were walking in the café. Let me see it."

Quatre took a step back and scratched at the back of his neck. "It's nothing Harry, really! I just twisted my ankle is all." He took another step back and nearly tumbled to the ground. Strong arms caught him and Quatre was about to thank Heero when he was shoved into Harry's grasp. Quicker than he could escape, Quatre was forced to sit and have his ankle examined.

A pressure wrap relieved most of his pain and the other pilots all went through their own examination with little complaint. "I suppose you should all rest. Quatre can keep watch over Trowa since I'm sure he was the one to show you which house was mine so you could break in. I'll go make you something to eat and hide anything young eyes shouldn't be looking at." His gaze lingered on Duo, who quickly put down the little book he'd been leafing through.

That book was one of the things gathered up as Harry went through his house to find all the wizarding paraphernalia he had laying about. A couple porn mags were gathered as well, Quatre would scold him if he found one laying around.


	8. Naruto HP

Little Naruto, at six years old, had endured far more than any child should. He'd been chased, beaten, insulted, and told to go off himself. His bright blue eyes had seen his home destroyed three times already and were, even now, watching a fox be killed on his bed from a small vent.

They always did this for the festival that always seemed to fall on his birthday. A fox was caught and killed for the crowds entertainment, though this was the first year he'd had it done on his bed.

There was a deep rage that always filled him when he heard the animals dying screams and this time was no different so he closed his eyes and focused on the scent of all his clothing smoldering in a pile in the middle of his bedroom floor.

Maybe, if he focused on that one smell of burning fabric then he wouldn't hear the desperate cries for help, for mercy from the tiny creature. He'd noticed that the foxes were always small, probably just babies wandering in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Why the Hokage allowed it was beyond him though. That old man had lectured him time and again about how wonderful the village was if he would just leave his apartment and look around.

Well he had and, just like he'd thought, the villagers had only grown more hostile. They'd thrown things at him, refused to let him into any of the buildings, and called him a monster. He'd asked the Hokage why they hated him so much after that. The old man had just said that it wasn't his fault and the villagers would warm up to him, ha!

So, with his rage and his fear fueling him, Naruto wished desperately that he could be anywhere else. Even if the people there were cold toward him, even if they ignored him, he would gladly be forgotten rather than hated so thoroughly.

The final cry of the fox echoed in his ears as Naruto, his eyes squeezed shut, vanished.

Harry Potter stared out at the dimly lit landscape of Wave Country with a sense of anticipation. Something was going to happen today and he couldn't decide if it was a good or a bad thing.

He'd managed, after three years, to find a spell that would take him to the place he was most suited to. It had skipped a few dimensions, added in a bit of knowledge, and dropped him in the middle of a desert.

He considered himself very lucky to be a skua in his animagus form. The ocean bird was fast and he only had to stop when the panic at not having water around became to much. He'd made it to the nearest body of water and from there to Wave Country where he was happily tucked away in some mountains cave system.

There was a soothingly large and brackish body of water about a kilometer away and he'd managed to retain his magic enough with the influx of chakra that he'd pretty much made the inside of the mountain seem like a castle.

Now he avoided Kirigakure shinobi patrols, hid a very odd garden in a small chamber that had a hole in the roof, and took care of any creature that managed to wander its way to him. He'd gotten a reputation as some mysterious demon that did good instead of evil down in the villages that he frequently shopped in. Though, thankfully, no one could place his face with this benevolent spirit.

Green eyes swept over the landscape once more, taking in the tranquility, before any sense of relaxation fled him. A child's loud wail of terror pierced the morning air more surely than a birds call could.

Harry swept into his home and rushed for the only entrance or exit, everything else was warded to heavily for him to pull them down and he didn't want to use the escape route. A dark blue cloak was thrown around his shoulders to protect against the cold and, with a loud cry of "Skerrrrr!" he was off.

The skua was a scavenger bird, often stealing food from other birds on the open ocean, but they still had superb eyesight and surprising speed for its size. It only took the dark brown bird ten minutes to locate the child and transform back into a human.

Blue eyes were frantic as the blond fled from the snarling beast behind him. Naruto had been wandering the dense woods, so different from his own, for a good five minutes before he'd accidentally stumbled on the napping creature. It had wasted no time in attempting to eat him.

Small legs moved him as fast as they could away from certain death and into the longer, taller legs of a man in a blue cloak. As scary as that was, he was the lesser of two terrors and so Naruto didn't fight when the man scooped him up and jumped into a tree.

The creature rushed under them, not once looking up, and passed their tree without even pausing. "Dragoon's can't smell very well so if you can outsmart it by getting out of its sight it will continue in a straight line until its tired."

The quiet, slightly rough voice caused something inside of him to stir and Naruto felt warmth spread through his system. The small spark of awareness that sometimes appeared when he was being beaten woke and a smooth voice whispered quiet words of content in his mind.

"_**We are safe with this one…Stay with him kit, stay and survive to contain me another day."**_ Then it was gone and the warmth with it.

Now that his adrenaline wasn't buzzing through him, making him run, Naruto felt the cold moisture of this place with a keen awareness. Back in Konoha it was warm or cold, but it was always a dry temperature. With the mist floating around and the slight breeze everything seemed much colder.

Naruto shivered and was mildly grateful, but mostly surprised, when he was pulled into the confines of the cloak and held in warm arms. The rough voice came to him, slightly muffled "We'll head back to my home and make sure you're okay, gaki."

There was the feeling of movement that made Naruto glad he couldn't see the scenery flying by. He'd been carried by an Anbu while the woman was running once, he'd felt sick for hours afterward.

They came to a stop some time later and the tingle of chakra raced over his skin before he was exposed to light outside of the cloak. The man walked passed him with a whirl of material and Naruto hurried to keep up with him.

Neither spoke, though the mans face didn't seem unkind, until they reached a large room filled with all sorts of medical supplies, herbs, and even a few beds. Naruto was beckoned to sit on one and a range of different tests were run over him. Whenever the mans hands went over an old ache or cut he would rub something on it and it would feel much better.

Once Naruto could no longer feel any sort of hurt in himself he was allowed to hop down. "What were you doing in the forest? It isn't a place for kids to be wandering around."

Naruto glanced to the side with a small frown and thought about what the voice had said. He should stay with this man, but if he lied to him then the man wouldn't let him stay, would he? Making up his mind, Naruto hesitantly looked up "I was hiding from the villagers and wished I could be anywhere besides there. The next thing I knew I was wandering around the forest getting chased."

The man blinked at him before frowning "What village was this kid?"

"Konohagakure." Naruto kept his eyes down to avoid the look of recognition then anger that he knew would be there. Only the monster would want to leave such a wonderful village right?

Instead of the blow he was expecting, Naruto felt himself get picked up. "Well, if you came all the way from there you must be hungry. I heard they were having a festival to celebrate the death of Kyuubi no Kitsune this week. Do they really kill foxes for entertainment?" Naruto nodded meekly, remembering the pained cries.

The man snorted "That's horrible. I can't imagine how watching a helpless creature be slaughtered could be amusing. Even Kiri shinobi care more for the life of the creatures around them than those Konoha idiots. Here we are! This is the main dining room, through that door is the kitchen and a smaller dining room reserved for when I only have a few guests."

They walked through the door into the kitchen and Naruto was sat down on a tall stool. He watched the black haired man move around the kitchen making them something to eat for a while before his curiosity got the better of him. "Who are you mister? Why are you being so nice to me?"

Green eyes glanced at him over a black clad shoulder and Naruto realized with a start that the man had taken his cloak off. "My name is Potter Harry and I'm being nice to you because I have no reason to be mean. do you like fish? It's the easiest thing to make and I have a lot of it. You landed in Wave Country in case you didn't know and it's big for fish."

Naruto fidgeted for a second "I don't mind fish, I didn't get to eat it much in Konoha. My name is Uzumaki Naruto if you wanted to know." He watched in silence as the man deftly flipped a fish over in a frying pan.

If it weren't for his apprehension, Naruto was sure he'd be drooling at the delicious smells that were slowly filling the kitchen. "Well Naruto-kun, it's simply lovely to meet you. Though maybe we could avoid the dragoons from now on, yeah?"

Muddy blond hair sprinkled dirt on Naruto's shoulders as he nodded in agreement. A tiny smile was tugging at the child's mouth as he watched the cheerful man dish out their food and sit across the counter from him with an exuberant "Itadakimasu!"

Several weeks later found Naruto sitting in the shallows of the rather large brackish lake. He'd bugged his new guardian into training him when he'd come upon the man practicing with a sword and the first thing he'd been told to do was catch a fish barehanded. It wasn't going well and he'd had to wear the mans clothes after the first attempt got his all wet.

Harry was sitting off to the side watching him and Naruto was determined to do a good job. Harry was the only person he could think of that had ever been nice to him besides Iruka-sensei. Not even the Hokage had cared enough about him to let him stay over in the tower during the festival like Iruka had his home!

Even without his want to make Harry proud, there was the promise of a trip into the closest village should he manage to catch one. With that trip was new clothes for him, a few sweets, and a new set of writing scrolls. He wasn't to enthusiastic about that last one, but the other two seemed to be the greatest things in the world to him.

The slight sparkle of a fish drew his attention and Naruto became still as a statue, just like he'd been shown. The prison of his hands widened a little so the fish could swim in and then slowly began to close. As the fish became nervous he sped up his hands until he had the scaly body in his grasp.

He hurriedly pulled the fish out of the water and cried out when it slipped, jumped into the air, and suddenly vanished. He would have thought the thing went back in the water if weren't for the lack of a splash. Glancing around to try and find where it could have gone, he was shocked to see the still squirming fish pinned to a tree by a kunai.

Blue eyes turned on the grinning man on the other bank as he clapped "Good job Naruto, you caught a fish! Once you're dry and dressed in the clothes I picked up for you we'll head out to the village. It's a good three hours walk from here to there so we'll have to hurry if we want to get any shopping done before the sun goes down."

The blond scrambled out of the water and shook as much water as he could off of his naked self, he'd learned his lesson after getting three pairs of clothes soaked, and accepted the sheet of cloth to dry himself.

Once that was done he held his arms up expectantly and was extremely pleased when he was picked up, wrapped in his towel, and tucked into the folds of a deep green cloak. He'd never had anyone treat him as if he were their son and every time Harry did something he associated with a caring father Naruto had to stop himself from giggling.

They made it up to the cave system, he liked to call it The Fox Den because of how many foxes seemed to run around, in little time. Harry was very fast when he wanted to be.

Naruto squirmed out of the loose hold his guardian had on him and hurried over to the fancy looking kimono laid out on his bed. In reality it was quite plain, but he'd never had one of his own so any kimono was fancy to him. It took a few seconds of struggling for him to trudge over to the chuckling man in his doorway and ask for help.

After that he was dressed in short order and Harry picked him up once more. "Come on Naruto-kun, I'll carry you so we get there faster. That kimono will slow you down a lot since you aren't used to moving around in one." Naruto curled against Harry, gripping the cloak tightly, and squeezed his eyes shut.

Harry never offered to carry him unless he was so tired he could barely move, it was always Naruto who asked to be carried. The only other time Harry carried him was when the man was planning on going to fast for Naruto to even see him if he was watching from the side lines.

Sure enough, as soon as Naruto was settled securely, they took off. He'd peeked once, when they were going this fast, and the memory was enough to make him curl tighter. Naruto had been terrified they would hit a tree, or fall off a cliff, or something else terrible if his guardian couldn't move out of the way at the speed they were going.

His terror was unfounded of course, he had no reason to fear the ride down. They always made it safely to wherever Harry was taking them and today was no different. They slowed to the speed of chûnin shinobi then finally came to a stop just outside of the village.

Harry carefully pried Naruto's fingers off his cloak and set the wobbly boy on his own feet. The first few steps toward the village were shaky at best, but they gradually got better until Naruto was dragging Harry behind him. Both of the males could hear the sound of a celebration going on behind the gate designed to keep wild animals out.

Harry chatted briefly with the guards posted there, though Naruto didn't listen. He was to busy staring at the colorful lights, painted papers, and beautiful kimonos that seemed to fill the streets he could glimpse through the boards of wood. Everything was so pretty! Was this what a festival was? Would he get to wander around in there with everyone else?

A slight groaning sound let him know that the gates were opening and Naruto clutched Harry's hand tighter. Would they be killing foxes as well? He didn't know if he could handle it if they did. Harry-san wouldn't let them hurt foxes would he?

Warmth filled his body as the pair of them were swallowed by the crowd. _**"They will not harm us…Fear not kit, our protector will keep us safe. He is one that carries a tail, he knows the burden and rewards. Do not fear."**_

Harry glanced down at the wide eyed child cutting circulation off to his fingers. That strange chakra had shown itself again, though he wasn't to worried. He'd felt the fiery energy before and had never seen anything bad happen. Of course, that could be because of the seal he'd spied on the child several times.

His own demon surged within him in response to the suddenly warm hand in his. **"I can feel him, the Kyuubi. Our cub holds him prisoner much the way you hold me. Watch him young Tori, do not let that fox harm our pup!"**

Harry quirked a small smile at the six tailed wolf's protectiveness. His chakra had appeared not to long after he'd started his journey to Wave when he'd run into an injured wolf, an odd thing in the desert. The creature had been in a bad way and took most of his energy in the healing. When he'd woken the wolf was gone, a crescent moon had appeared on his lower back, and new energy had been racing through him.

According to Shichi, which was a rather funny name for a six tailed demon, his chakra had jump started Harry's own chakra production.

A tug on his sleeve drew Harry's attention. Green eyes glanced down at the boy holding his hand through silver framed glasses. Naruto was biting his lip, glancing from Harry's face to somewhere off in the crowd. Harry quirked a small smile for his charge "What is it Naruto? Did you see something you wanted?" The warm energy seemed to swell in amusement before dying down.

"No Harry-san, but there's a little girl over there, sitting all by herself, and I was wondering why." Harry glanced in the direction Naruto was pointing and cocked his head.

A small snort escaped him before he could stop it "Naruto, that's a boy. Besides that, why would I know the reason behind his being alone? Perhaps you should go over and introduce yourself." Naruto looked up at Harry with wide eyes.

He watched the blond squirm nervously and swung the child into his arms without prompting. He continued to walk, at a slower pace, toward the weapons stand that was there for the sole benefit of the visiting shinobi. Naruto cuddled closer to Harry and wrapped his arms around the mans neck.

Blue eyes peeked up at the green eyes focused ahead of them then averted to the high tail that his guardians hair had been pulled into. When Harry left it down it reached just below his shoulders. Mustering up his courage, much to Harry's hidden amusement, Naruto leaned back enough to catch his guardian's eye. "What if you get lost while I'm talking to him?"

Harry stopped walking to stare down at Naruto, trying to figure out why Naruto would think he would get lost. After his demon grumbled about picking an idiot, he finally got it. "Well Naruto, if it will make you feel better, I won't wander very far."

The blond was shifted so that he was being held in one arm while Harry slipped his hand into a weapons pouch Naruto hadn't noticed before. "And if that isn't enough, I'll give you this whistle. You have to concentrate really hard on it and blow, then I'll be able to find you."

Naruto took the slightly battered whistle and looked it over. Seemingly satisfied with his inspection, he tucked it away and wiggled to be put down. Before he ran off to talk with the boy, he turned to Harry "you promise you won't get lost? That if I blow the whistle you'll come find me?" Harry nodded and followed Naruto a little ways.

Once he was sure his charge had made it safely he turned away. "My names Naruto, what's yours?"

"Haku."

And that was all he heard before the noise of the crowd over took him. Harry spent several minutes buying various training things for Naruto at the weapons stand. He didn't linger very long though, not with the mist shinobi watching people who visited. After his weapons shopping, Harry headed toward a stand that sold some of the more high end kimono.

A few of those were chosen so Naruto and he would have something to wear for the various festivals that happened in the villages surrounding his hide away. Harry was just getting some rock candy for Naruto and, if he was still there, Haku when the shrill sound of a whistle made him cringe.

He tucked the two bags of sweets away and launched himself out of the crowd. Several people ducked, expecting him to fall down on them, but he ignored that and forced his chakra to form a small cloud under him. It was one of the few jutsu he'd made himself to substitute for his lost magical ability.

The cloud carried him to a roof, he couldn't maintain it long, and he raced along the uneven surface. The closer he got the more he wanted to cringe away. The dog whistle couldn't be heard by those around him, but it was certainly doing a number on his swiftly pounding head.

A tuft of blond hair came into view and Harry dropped in front of Naruto. He gnashed his teeth at the twin shinobi that were separating Naruto and Haku. They paused in surprise, not expecting someone to drop out of no where. "What are you doing to my son?" Harry asked darkly and the shinobi glanced at each other in amusement.

"Somehow I don't think-"

"this brat is-"

"your son." they finished together and then lunged forward. Harry quickly twirled to present his back to them and wrapped Naruto in his cloak. The blond was saved the sight of blood dripping out of Harry's mouth as he took the chain attack full on.

Green eyes closed briefly when the hooked end was ripped viciously out. "How -cough- cowardly." He managed to wheeze out. Strong arms wrapped tighter around Naruto before Harry had to remove one to start healing himself.

Behind him, the Demon Brothers of the Mist watched in slight shock as the wound closed up. Haku peered between the taller figures to watch as well and a small spark shot through his eyes. This ability, was it a bloodline limit like his own ice? Could he learn this, or maybe convince this man to help Zabuza-san?

The twins hefted their chains up again and made to attack when their target was suddenly gone. Not even a trace of the little blond child they'd been terrifying earlier was left behind. Haku felt a small tug of disappointment, but didn't dwell on it.


	9. Naruto HP 2

Pain coursed through the small body as Harry Potter curled into a ball. He'd wait, ride it out like he always did. Protesting only made it worse and crying would only give the big man more reason to beat him. A heavy foot collided with Harry's ribs producing a sickening crunch. The small boy didn't make any noise though, not with Vernon so excited.

For as long as he could remember the Dursley's had been his care givers. They fed him, clothed him, and let him sleep in their cupboard. Harry loved them for that. As payment he was made to clean, cook, relieve stress or provide entertainment and he feared them for that. There was simmering rage just beneath his acceptance, but it never managed to bubble up.

Another crunch as his wrist was stepped on and a sharp pain shooting agonizingly through his spine to his brain. Just ignore it and they'll stop eventually. He'd learned to follow this rule to the T in the past five years of life at the Dursley's home. Dudley had recently started to follow in his father example, Harry remembered as a foot much smaller than usual connected with his chin.

Something cruel was spat at him and the car door slammed shut. The Dursley's had been forced to take him on vacation with them to Oga. It was a city close to the Japan Sea steeped in lore and the possible next site for Grunnings. Vernon had been threatening to take him out into a forest and leave him for some wild animal to eat for weeks; at least he hadn't lied.

Harry struggled to drag his screaming body into a thicket of some plant or another. Everything hurt and something warm was trailing down his face. It couldn't be blood, but he didn't want to think it was tears. "I'm sorry….uncle…back…." A broken sob tore from his damaged frame. He didn't want to be alone! It would be dark soon and he was terrified of the monsters that lurked in the night.

Blood tinted his spit pink and Harry stopped talking. It burned to much to do anything, but keen in despair. He should have known better than to think that leaving the country would mean he could go outside. Something in the trees rustled and his keen turned into a whimper. What if it was an ogre? Dudley had told him about those, said an old guy told him there were lots in the forest.

A thump and green eyes squeezed shut. If something was going to eat him, he wasn't going to watch. If the boy had been in less pain he'd have curled even more when something touched him. A soothing voice flowed in the strange sounds people here made. He didn't understand "Daijobu ka?" It repeated that several times.

Harry kept his mouth shut. First rule, don't speak.; ever. The man, for it obviously was, sighed. "Naruhodo." Searing fire spiked through Harry as he was lifted. Despite his resistance a scream slipped out. The man paused before adjusting his hold and continuing on. The one time Harry peeked at their surroundings things had been going by so fast he'd felt ill.

The breeze and spray of salty water roused the boy from his pained sleep for several seconds before he slipped off again. When next the world swam into view Harry was laid out on a soft bed with things on his body that felt very heavy and bandages around his chest. He didn't try to move, that would have hurt. Still, he must have done something because someone spoke up "He's awake! Doctor, the boy has woken up!"

Now why did he understand that? He couldn't understand it before he'd fallen asleep. Maybe hitting his head had changed his languages? Opening his eyes proved to be more effort than it was worth, but he did it anyway. White, bright, and much to clean assaulted him the instant he could focus. Everything was blurry so he didn't have his glasses, but at least he could see where people were now.

A dark figure stood in the corner, a woman was leaning over him asking something, and what he guessed was the doctor had started checking him for brain damage. It was all very frightening. When everything was said and done Harry was left to his own devices aside from the man in the corner. "Who are you?" He finally asked, unable to stand the man's stare.

Whoever it was twitched in surprise "Ookami. You can see me?" Harry frowned. Of course he could see him! Just because he needed glasses didn't mean he was totally blind! Of course, the boy didn't say so out loud. Uncle Vernon would kill him if he ever talked to disrespectfully. Instead he just nodded in the affirmative.

After a while Harry began to squirm. The man was staring at him unblinkingly under that weird mask and he wanted it to stop. Finally, Ookami spoke up "You aren't supposed to see me. This is a very powerful genjutsu used by the interrogation squad to trick people into giving up personal information." The man brought his hands up and did weird things with them before saying something to quiet for Harry to catch.

Suddenly the white dissolved and he was in a dimly lit apartment. This was much easier on his eyes and he found himself sighing in relief. "C-can I have my glasses?" The round frames were held before him and he slipped them on. The world was still a little fuzzy around the edges, but he could at least make out details. "Where am I? Where's my…my uncle?" he didn't really want to know, but it was important to know if the man was around.

Ookami cocked his head like the canine his mask was modeled after "The big man? He left you to die in the forest days ago. We just got back here a few hours ago and I haven't even given my report yet. It's 1800 right now and the report is due at 1900 so I figure I have about three hours." Harry frowned. From 1800 to 1900 was only one hour.

He didn't point this out though, Uncle Vernon hated to be corrected. The man didn't seem to notice his frown and continued talking. "So do you want to go get something to eat with me? The food here is about as delicious as a dirty sock boiled in dishwater."

Harry wrinkled his nose at the thought of how such a thing would taste.


	10. Naruto HP 3

Body having long since given up the fight to keep warm, it lay still among the carnage. Blood soaked the raven hair and stained porcelain skin. Nothing stirred on the once green ground save for the worms coming up for their feast. Eyes green enough to force away the creeping river of crimson stared into a mangled face. That was twice now, he'd lost his godfather.

Crystalline tears fought through slowly drying mud to add their own tint to the earth. For all the good this battle had done Harry couldn't help but wish it had never been. For laying amongst the black clad corpses of death eaters were the brighter colors of his family.

The flaming red of a clan of Weasley's had dulled to a dark maroon. The bushy brown of the smartest witch in his year stuck sickly to recently tanned skin. Remus Lupin was lost forever among the other monstrous bodies of the moon and he couldn't even bring himself to remember the countless others.

Dull eyes closed. He had nothing left to hold him to life. It would be okay if he was selfish, just this once. He could finally meet his parents and be at rest. As the blessed mercy of sleep took him, maybe forever, Harry registered the sad and lilting tones of a phoenix. He could go in peace.

Fawkes landed next to his favorite person. The death of Dumbledor had seen the exchanging of loyalties from him to Harry. Fawkes didn't want to see another protector dead so soon, he could feel the life saving tears welling up and knew without a doubt that these were his last. They dripped from his beak to the many wounds marring a toned body.

Contrary to popular belief, a phoenix could die. Not by evil or by spell but by its own compassion. Phoenix tears had the ability to heal only because when it cried part of its life energy was taken from it. With the last of his strength Fawkes fluttered onto Harry's back and sent them both to a place where the pain could hopefully heal. All the avian could do now was hope its protector could get along without it.

In the light of early dawn green eyes cracked. They stared in a forlorn manner at the brilliant light that flooded a clearing, cool morning dew forcing a chill into their carrier. Harry didn't know how he'd come to be here. He didn't know why he wasn't dead as he'd hoped. All he knew was that there was a burning sense of something in him that refused to let him continue laying there.

This feeling was almost familiar, though foreign at the same time. Shaking his head of thought Harry pushed himself into a sitting position. Glancing around, the brunet was slightly pleased to find a pack sitting against a tree. As great as that was he was highly unhappy to find himself in a very small body. A magical check found quickly that it was prepubescent too.

"What in the world?" Small hands flew up to cover a pink mouth. He sounded so small! A quick scramble to the pack as well as some digging turned up a mirror. Harry got a look at himself for the first time since he'd woken. Long black hair swayed slightly in the breeze, pale skin appeared sickly in the morning sun, but the most startling discovery was that his dark green eyes were now significantly lighter.

Blue flecks made them seem almost aqua. Next to this was the disappearance of his scar, no Voldemort meant no connection! He couldn't wipe the huge grin from his face as he shoved the mirror back in. Wherever he'd ended up was getting rather warm and he wanted to find actual shelter before night fell again. He tugged on the pack "Well then, lets find out why I'm here."

As it turned out, he should have stayed in the small cropping of trees. It was a single oasis amongst a vast desert of sand. Now, Harry had had a lot of survival training in preparation for the war. Had gone through things most adults only dreamed about in their worst visions. So a desert wasn't a big deal right? Wrong. With giant scorpions, no noticeable civilization, and a dwindling supply of water he was just vulture bait.

As his young body began to give out Harry wondered why he'd gone from dying in battle to dying from exhaustion. Perhaps the gods hated him? Why else take the glory of martyrdom from him for such humiliation? "Hey! Hey kid!" Great, he was hallucinating now. Who would be out in the middle of the desert besides him after all. Harry's world was swiftly going black around him "Oi, Tatsu!! Hurry over, I think this kid is in need of some serious-" the words cut off as Harry finally lost the battle and fell to the hot sands. He'd been wandering for several weeks with no reprieve from the harsh conditions and just couldn't hold out anymore.

When again he opened his eyes he was surprised to find a white ceiling instead of the dark sky. There were I.V. in his arms keeping him from moving much. "Where…?" Harry grimaced. His voice was even weaker than it had been! The sound he hadn't realized was going on around him suddenly stopped. A pinched face appeared in his field of vision. "Don't talk you little fool."

Immediately Harry didn't like this woman. She seemed the type that would hate you for having coughed while she was trying to relax. "Wandering around in the desert during the middle of the summer! They should have just let you die out there." Harry bristled. How dare she! "Well, who are you and what village are you from then?" Hah! If she thought she was getting anything from him after being so rude she was sorely mistaken!

Harry kept his mouth closed until she became frustrated and left to get someone else to come talk to him. There was a quiet thud and Harry's sharp eyes immediately turned toward the sound. A tall, willowy figure stood next to the door "If I lock this will you scream for help?" The man turned boy thought for several seconds before snorting. The other smirked slightly and the lock clicked into place.

"So what were you doing in the desert?" He asked casually. Instead of answering, Harry began to pull the I.V.'s out. The man seemed surprised at this "Hey! Don't do that, they're putting fluid back into you!" The boy scoffed at this. He didn't like hospitals and he didn't plan to stay long enough for the things to do any good so why leave them? "Where am I?" He rasped.

The man rolled his eyes "You're one of those huh? Well if you're bound and determined to leave then come with me. A kid shouldn't have survived so long in the desert as you obviously did. I'm Chimorai Tatsunosuke. Who're you?" Aqua eyes turned on the man calculatingly "I'm Shurachi. No last name." This was the identity he'd settled on several days ago, before he'd become delusional.

Tatsunosuke chuckled lightly "Shurachi-kun huh? Well, are you coming or what?" Harry, or rather Shurachi climbed out of the bed with a little grimace. What choice did he have, really? Shura had no idea where he was, no idea how he was speaking this foreign language (and it was foreign), and no idea what he was supposed to do as a five year old.

A bang on the door made him jump "We'd better hurry." With little hesitation the four year old hurried into the arms of the man who'd found him in the desert. They left through the window and it took all that Shura had not to scream in fear. Aqua eyes squeezed shut in sheer terror at falling to their death. A jerk made him squeak "You can open your eyes now kid."

Shura did. Scenery raced passed them making him think wistfully of flying. It was obvious they hadn't died however "Where are we going?" Tatsunosuke didn't even glance at him "To my house. I live in the actual village while that hospital is just a civilian facility on the outskirts." The rest of the run was silent as Shura thought about this. Tatsunosuke had said civilian, which meant he was part of some sort of military.

Did he really want to get involved with someone who fought? Did he really have a choice? They slowed to a stop on the roof of an apartment complex and Shura looked around the sprawling city. It was just starting to come to life as the sun went down. "Come on, I want to get you settled before I have to go on patrol." They walked down a flight of stairs after going through a door on the roof and stopped at apartment 113b.

Shura was given the spare key that was hidden in a flower pot next to the door. He thought that was an obvious hiding place, but didn't say anything. This man was letting an "annoying" kid live with him after all. He was set up with something to eat, shown where the extra futon was, then left to his own devices as his new "guardian" left for "work" as Tatsunosuke had put it. He explored the small apartment. There was a bathroom, bedroom, and living room/Kitchenette thing. Shura tried staying up long enough to see Tatsunosuke home, he really did. It was just so hard in this body. Around three in the morning he finally nodded off on the couch.

Over the weeks the two brunets had worked out a routine of sorts. Shura would wake up before Tatsunosuke came home and make some breakfast. By the time the exhausted shinobi got in he'd only have enough energy to eat then crawl into bed. There was the occasional day that he stayed up longer than that, probably to see what Shura did every day, but those were rare.

It was on one of these rare occasions that poor Shura got the shock of his life. Tatsunosuke came through the door with a satisfied little smirk on his face "What did you do Tatsu-dobe?" He'd quickly gotten to nicknaming the idiot he now lived with, obviously. Tatsu pouted for several seconds before he couldn't hold it in anymore "I enrolled you in the shinobi academy!" He positively beamed with joy at this announcement. Sadly, Shura didn't share his excitement "You what?!?!?! What were you thinking? WERE you thinking at all?

I'm not registered here! Someone could find out and kill me! You don't even know if I have any usable chakra!!" Of course he did. He'd been immersed in enough of Tatsu's books to try out a few things and he found it rather easy to do some of the weaker shokubutsu jutsu. Tatsu frowned "You should be happy about this though Shura-chibi! Now you'll be able to actually learn rather than devouring my books like a hungry scorpion."

Pink flooded Shura's cheeks. He hadn't thought the other had noticed how he was quickly exhausting the meager supply of scrolls and books. Crossing his arms in a grumpy fashion, Shura relented with a little snort and turn of his head. Tatsu made a happy noise then tucked into his breakfast with gusto. Shura had just started on the dishes when his "guardian" cleared his throat "When you're done get dressed, we'll go get your schools things today. You start tomorrow."

The plate he was holding nearly dropped. Tomorrow! That was hardly any time at all! He'd get Tatsu for this, the man would regret shocking Shura in such a way! Never the less he hurried with his washing and got dressed properly. The now young Shura rarely ever got to go out for any reason. He technically wasn't supposed to be living in the bachelor Jyonin apartment complex.

Sure the other guys liked him well enough, especially when he made things to eat for whatever party Tatsu was going to that night, but he knew there was only so much they would keep quiet about. Out of sight out of a report so to say. They left the apartment, locking it behind them, and headed out into the morning market. Several hours and a few giggling girls later Shura was sipping fruit juice from a tube like container while Tatsu was flirting shamelessly with the young waitress.

A scream caught the boy's ear and he turned away from his sneering to look behind him. Crying seemed to float on the wind while the barest hint of hateful words followed it swiftly. Gulping the last of his juice and attaching a quickly scribbled note (via napkin) to a senbon (which he'd stolen from Tatsu) at Tatsu, Shura moved toward the disturbance.

A small red haired child lay huddled on the ground while bigger looking children formed a circle around him and hissed nasty things. Strangely no one touched the poor boy, Shura was grateful for that small mercy. A wind picked up, tossing his coal black hair about playfully "Hey!" He was almost tempted to throw a rock at one of the boys when he heard the word freak.

His call did what it was designed to however, and attention was turned on him instead. "What?" Shura frowned. The way the girl had said that made it seem as if this were a normal thing to do rather than an act of childish cruelty! "Leave him alone! What did he ever do to you, huh?" There it was, the familiar spark of annoyance. Draco had looked just the same whenever Harry had gotten something right that he didn't. Harry was "dead" now though and Shura had taken his place. "He lived, that's what he did!"

Anger bubbled up in Shura "Well that's a stupid reason!" Great, now he was arguing with children. Tatsu would probably be laughing his ass off if he were there.

The whole group left the red head huddled on the ground and advanced on Shura. Unlike with the other boy, they didn't seem to mind beating him up. Small fists flailed out to try and make contact with his pale flesh. None did. When he thought they were getting to hyped up he brought his hands up and formed three quick seals "Shokubutsu: Tsukamaeru no jutsu!"

Vines shot up from the ground to wrap around the children's ankles. They squawked loudly as their balance was lost and immediately Shura ended the Jutsu. They were down and that's all he needed "Now leave me alone or I'll tell Jyonin-san over there that you were picking on me! He's my older brother and he'll get real mad." An aqua glare was leveled squarely at the girl that appeared to be the leader.

She huffed but retreated, taking her thugs with her. Shura moved toward the curled up red head "Hey, are you okay?" The boy curled in on himself even further. Aqua eyes lightened in worry "Kid? I'm not going to hurt you, promise. Just….are you alright? They didn't hurt you did they?"

Finally the other boy began to uncurl. He turned pained green eyes on Shura "I…they didn't beat me up. Mother wouldn't let them and they know it."

His mother? Why would she let them say such things but not hit him? Shura mentally shook himself of the puzzle "Would you like to have some juice with me then? I know how not nice it feels to be called mean things and juice always made me feel better." Not that he'd ever gotten juice after being called a freak or other such things at the Dursley's.

Regardless of this, those foam green eyes had brightened slightly and something akin to a smile was tugging at the other boys lips. "I'd like that." Shura helped the other boy stand then led him toward the tent he'd been drinking juice at earlier. Tatsu was still flirting but his senbon was stuck in their table. Shura threaded it through his shirt hem again then sat down on one of the provided pillows.

He had to tell the other to sit before the boy did and they ordered their drinks with little problem. Once both were situated with the long tubes Shura turned to look at his silent companion "My name's Shurachi, what's yours?" Shy green eyes turned on him "Sabaku no Gaara." Shura smiled then took a sip of his juice "Why were those kids being mean to you? You seem like a nice enough boy, if a little shy."

Shura grinned at the light blush that stained the other boys cheeks "I'm different than them. They're afraid of Mother. I can't think of anything else." Different? Shura couldn't see anything different about this kid. He looked just like all the other kids, maybe a little smaller. His confusion must have shown on his face because Gaara decided to elaborate. "Here, look."

A small hand came up just below the line of the table and Shura watched with a little bit of shock as sand began to gather. It formed a small ball, just floating there until Gaara let it drop back to the ground. Shura blinked "Well that was interesting."

"What was?" Both boys looked up in a guilty way at Tatsu. The man just grinned down at them until Shura scowled "Sit down Tatsu-baka. It's none of your business and the waitress is being chewed out for spending so much time with you."

The brunet sat with a little pout "I can't help it if the ladies find me adorable. Now, when did you swipe my senbon and who is this? Also, aim better next time. You nearly took out poor Kangeki's hand!" Shura smirked in a dark fashion "What if that was what I was aiming for?" Tatsu frowned but didn't rebuke him. He'd learned already that the boy wasn't one to care for another's opinion of him.

"This is Gaara, a kid my own age I can play with that isn't a horrid pervert." Shura took another sip of his juice then smiled at the stunned looking Gaara.

Tatsu huffed "Well, I can tell when I'm not wanted! Sadly though, we can't stay. I have go on patrol soon and you need to be inside when I do until I'm sure you can protect yourself a little better." It was Shura's turn to pout. In exchange for his need to be underestimated he'd become an actual child.

Aqua eyes turned with an annoyed little sigh to Gaara "I have to go, but I'll see you around sometime Gaara." He sucked down the last of his juice and stood with Tatsu.

Walking toward the intended opening of the tented restaurant, Shura was getting ready to say something sarcastic about a man he'd just noticed when sand covered his feet. It slowly worked its way up until his entire lower half was caught. Twisting to look behind him he found Gaara standing in front of their table. His small hands were gripping the juice tube tightly while his face appeared frightened.

Tatsu was already forming seals to blow the sand away when Shura smiled "Don't worry about it Tatsu," and a little louder, "would you like to come over Gaara?" The green eyes seemed to light up.

Hesitantly, the smaller boy came over to them "Can I?" Shura nodded and the sand crept back from him, reforming on Gaara's back as a crude gourd. Tatsu looked surprised at this for a second before he rolled his eyes and followed the silent boys home.

The next day Shura sat through boring lessons, endured the clumsy attempts at friendship, and lost the battle to stay awake half way through the explanation of why they needed to learn seals later in the year. Come lunch time he was eager to leave the stuffy classroom behind. The whole class shuffled down to the lunchroom, some staying in while others went outside to eat.

Since he'd been looking forward to getting fresh air Shura went outside. He was both pleased and displeased that he did when his aqua eyes landed on a group of kids. He could see just the barest hint of red in their center. Gaara? But he was only four! The red head had told him himself that he wouldn't be starting at the academy until next year!

Forgetting his lunch under the shade of a tree, Shura quickly strode over to the crowd. Gaara was caught by some sort of rope trap in the middle of them. His face was damp from tears and what looked like exertion as the sand on his back shifted angrily. The little boy wasn't letting it free to do as it wished it would seem. Unfortunately this want to not hurt anybody wasn't shared by the crowd and they threw things at Gaara that weren't just words.

When a kunai became airborne Shura darted forward. The knife was hurriedly knocked from the air by his stolen senbon then stepped on to prevent anyone from using it again. "Who threw that?!" The snarl sounded nothing like his usually quiet, caustic voice. Suddenly the jeering voices weren't so confident.

The crowd rustled and one of their peers was thrust forward with a little smirk. "I threw it. That little freak doesn't deserve to live here if at all. Plus, he's not an academy student so he's not allowed on the playground."

Shura had to close his eyes and count to ten "Who made you the boss of the academy? Surely not Koochoo (principal) -sensei." The boy puffed up in anger "You listen here kid, this is your first day so I'm guessing you don't know how things work here. I'll be graduating this year, I know the most high level jutsu, so I am the one in charge of this playground."

Aqua eyes looked up from where they'd been watching him absently pet the sand slowly crawling over his shoulder "I'm sorry, I wasn't listening. What was that? Something about leaving and apologizing to Gaara for your unfair treatment of him?" The sand seemed to move in amusement, making Shura wonder who really controlled it. Gaara wouldn't have found this sort of thing funny after all.

His distraction nearly cost him as a ball of water flew at him from the enraged child. Only Gaara's sand saved both of them from injury, he could hear the sand sizzling from the heat or toxicity of that water. Turning to the smaller boy he picked up the kunai and cut the ropes off. Small arms wrapped around his waist and a head of red hair pushed into his chest. Gaara was afraid. Afraid and seeking Shura for reassurance that all was okay. Why?

Deciding to wait until he wasn't so busy to ponder this Shura began to form seals. He brought his hands up to his chest on the last one and said with a glint of satisfaction "Shokubutsu: Hana Konton Tarumu no jutsu! Now who knows high level jutsu baka?" A forest of huge flowers now filled the grassy area they'd been standing in. Gaara and himself were hidden from the others by both sand and plant now while the fragrant scent pushed most people into unconsciousness. He handed Gaara a cloth that had been soaked in the antidote to keep the other boy from getting sleepy.

A similar cloth was now tied around his own face to free up his hands "Did they hurt you?" Gaara shook his head against Shura's chest. The older boy sighed "Are you alright though?" Again a negative answer. Shit, what had they done to Gaara? Little arms came up to wrap around the small body "You want me to kill them? I can if you'd like." Shura kept a serious look on his face as the tear stained one turned up to smile weakly at him.

"You don't have to kill them, I'm used to it." Well that just made him WANT to kill them. Shura felt the jutsu forced to cancel and tightened his hold on Gaara. The sand seemed to realize that the extra protection was gone now and tightened in on them.

It was trying to form a protective barrier between them and their new attackers from what Shura could see. "Who's in there? You have some explaining to do! You know there are no fights involving jutsu on the playground! I'll have your graduation delayed and you'll have to stay back another year if you don't answer me!" The voice was definitely feminine.

Just what they needed, an angry woman. "I need you to bring down your sand Gaara. We aren't in any danger, I promise." The face hid itself in his chest again, but the sand was reluctantly coming down.

Before anyone could see them he tucked the cloth antidotes back into his pocket. The sun hit them and Shura glared menacingly at the woman. She seemed shocked to see a first year and a boy not even old enough to attend were in the middle of the sand. Flapping her mouth like a fish, she had no chance of keeping them when the bell rang.

Shura led a subdued Gaara by the hand into his classroom and sat him down in Shura's own chair. The brunet stood next to Gaara as if he were some sort of guard. The second bell rang, heralding the arrival of his teacher. She was an average looking kunoichi by Shura's standards "Chimorai-san, who is this? I don't recall having had a student transfer into my class." Gaara seemed to shrink in the chair and wouldn't look up to watch Shura's performance.

Small teeth bit a chapped lower lip "Well Shinonome-sensei, this is Gaara. Tatsu-nii said you probably wouldn't mind if he came to school with me cause all the other kids are kind of mean to him and he won't distract anyone or anything! Right Gaara?" The red head nodded slightly but still wouldn't look up. As expected, Shinonome-sensei caved under the pressure of "pity me" and allowed Gaara to stay.

Shura stood in his place the whole class period. He'd have to bend over to write something on his paper but for the most part he'd zone out. This was all boring things he'd read several weeks ago. At least Gaara was being amused by this. He'd started taking notes almost as soon as the teacher had started talking about the mechanics of hand seals.

The final bell rang and the two waited for most of the students to filter out before leaving themselves. Gaara stuck close to Shura who had loaned him paper, pencil, and an empty folder to carry his things in. People moved out of their way as they walked down the halls and with each step Gaara got closer and closer until he was gripping Shura's shirt. The looks they got were full of fear and anger. It reminded Shura of his second year in Hogwarts.

Getting home, or rather to Tatsu's apartment, the two removed their shoes. Tatsu was snoring quietly in his room so Shura set to work making them some lunch. They ate in relative silence with Shura periodically asking Gaara about various things he'd seemed to enjoy during class. The sun was starting to go down when a loud banging on the door not only woke Tatsu, but the sand as well.

It hissed quietly on the floor around them, spilling from the little backpack Gaara had been keeping it in. Tatsu didn't spare the two boys a glance, they'd been doing the first homework assignment of the year, and quickly opened the door. A very female looking man stepped through and shut the door behind himself. He seemed to radiate barely contained anger to Shura. "Gaara-sama, I've been looking all over the village for you! You know you aren't supposed to wander off."

Stolen senbon in hand, Shura turned to this man. He was about to lay into him when Gaara's voice broke through "Sorry Uncle Yashamaru. Shura-kun was really nice to me though, he even saved me from some of those mean kids! Can't I play with him?" Well it would seem Shura wasn't the only one willing to play the pity me card.

Melting under the pleading gaze, Yashamaru nodded with a tired sigh. "I suppose you can play with him, but if he's mean to you in any way you tell me alright? Kazekage-sama would have my head if you got hurt."

Shura turned aqua eyes on the younger boy smiling in a shy manner. Kazekage? Was this the Kazekage's son? Hmmm "Gaara-sama?" curious green eyes turned on Shura at the honorific. A mischievous grin split his face "That's better than a nickname. Tatsu-dobe agrees with me too, ne?"

Yashamaru seemed shocked that Shura had called Tatsu a moron but the man just grinned at him and nodded. Shura chuckled lightly and went back to working on his homework. Gaara stared at him for several seconds before turning his attention to the book in front of him as well and filling in the answers as best he could. Tatsu left not to long after that to go on patrol and Yashamaru was nearly scared out of his wits when Shura started making dinner with the ease of one who has had many years of practice.

Around ten Shura settled on his futon to sleep while Gaara took up the position he'd had the previous night on the windowsill. Yashamaru shifted on his feet in an uncomfortable manner. On the one hand he was dreadfully tired, on the other he didn't want to sleep in someone else's house without their permission. His training as a shinobi paid off in that respect and he stayed up all night just watching Gaara.

The young boy sat staring out the window for nearly an hour before his sand moved to form a dome around Shura. Yashamaru moved over to the window to see what had made his charge nervous. A half moon revealed the forms of two men in the dark. They weren't moving, just sitting there, but it made him uneasy anyway. Gaara eventually moved away from the window and pulled some paper out of his new folder. Shura's pencil was commandeered for the purpose of drawing since he really had nothing else to do in the middle of the night.

They kept this pattern through the months that Shura had to be in school and only altered it when one or both of them had to do something else that day. Yashamaru had stopped watching them like a hawk after the first month. Tatsu now gave Shura an allowance of 1049 yen each week to be used on whatever they wanted. Most worrisome was that the Kazekage had found out about his son having a friend.

Shura had been having one eventful week after the other for nearly three months. First there was the kidnapping, Gaara had nearly gone catatonic when he'd learned Shura was in danger. Then there was the assassination attempt which ended with the poor guy's hair in flowery braids. After that someone had tried to kidnap Gaara and Yashamaru still had nightmares about the gruesome way Shura had killed the man.

It was one of those nights that Shura could manage to stay up with his friend. Yashamaru was watching them make tiny explosive tags then using them on logs in the small fireplace that all homes had for the winter. Gaara had finally managed to get one to work when the shadow slipped in. He'd been expecting this, Kazekage-sama wanted to see if Gaara's new friend would protect him to the death. Yashamaru almost felt bad for how they were manipulating the youth into becoming Gaara's body guard when he was older.

Shura tensed up as he felt someone slide into his home, his domain. Gaara's sand was moving uneasily as well but Gaara himself seemed oblivious to the sudden tension. "Hey Gaara, I'm going to go get something to drink. You want anything?" the boy shook his head no so Shura got up and headed down the hall toward his bedroom. He had an actual set of senbon, kunai, and shuriken that Tatsu had bought when he got fed up with Shura stealing his. Snatching up some of the deadly needles he stalked silently down the hall. Even when the panicked shout of his name reached his ears he didn't speed up to much.

"Your little buddy can't help you Gaara-sama." the honorific was sneered in a hating fashion. This shinobi had wanted to kill the red head for a very long time and when his Kazekage had handed him the mission scroll saying he was to kidnap then torture Gaara he'd almost been giddy. Sand was rising up to fight off the attacker but he'd been told a way around that as well and used it.

A quick disorienting genjutsu was used to give him an opening and a little dart found itself lodged in Gaara's arm. Poison seeped out that locked in chakra and the sand fell; lifeless. It was as a kunai came down to mar Gaara's pale skin that pain shot up the mans leg. He turned his head to find the boy from before standing behind him.

Senbon were held between his fingers, a cloth mask covered his nose and mouth, and fire seemed to be spitting from his angry eyes. Even the glasses couldn't filter the intense hatred this child held for him. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the akanboo's little protector. Do you really think a few senbon will take me down? I've been waiting for this moment since the little monster was born."

Another senbon flew and landed with a small squirt of blood in the artery of the mans left thigh. He cursed but left it in knowing that it would halt the bleeding. "I don't take kindly to people who break and enter. If you'd just been out to steal something I would have probably left you to the Jyônin of the village." The other senbon were flying as he spoke. Only one landed in its intended target however and the man immediately jerked it out and threw it at the ground.

"Sadly, you decided it would be more fun to try my temper and attack Gaara-sama." He was out of senbon "I cannot forgive this offence against him and myself. Shokubutsu: Shi Ha Chidarake no Jutsu!" Roots, leaves, and branches from the plants that Shura had stationed around the apartment a month ago all crept around the man who was then enfolded in a giant green flower. It looked like a bizarre sort of leaf to Yashamaru who was watching the whole thing from the window.

Shura rushed over to the fallen Gaara as the plant began to slowly contract. He settled on his knees next to the other boy "Gaara-sama? Are you okay?"

Dazed green eyes opened to stare up at Shura who sighed in relief. They blinked sluggishly "Shu'a? Wha…?" The eyes closed again and the breathing evened out. He was resting, good.

Rage beyond even the Kazekage's blazed in suddenly green eyes. Chakra flowed thick and angry in the room making Yashamaru shudder. A scream pierced the air as the flower changed colors to a brownish red. Horror filled Yashamaru as he realized why it had done that. The bud blossomed, showing off the crushed body of the kidnapper.

Vines weaved in and out of his flesh, soaking up the blood like it was water while the head sat perfectly pristine on the top of a tall pole thing that grew from the middle. Smaller versions of the flower eagerly dragged themselves and intestines along the petals before sucking the bits and pieces dry. By the time the ten minute process had finished a beautiful blood red flower tenderly cradled a large seed that had originally been the body of the kidnapper.

Shura ended the jutsu and the plant broke into its individual parts which then retreated back into their pots. He picked Gaara up with a little difficulty and carried him into the shared bedroom. Once the redhead was settled in a futon Shura snatched up some kunai. There were no windows in the bedroom so he wouldn't have to worry about that. Settling down in the door way, the young and experienced warrior fell into his watch.

Yashamaru had reported the brutality to a pleased Kazekage and the two boys had been left alone after that. The summer was fast approaching however and Gaara's father was already planning ways to put the two into mortal peril.

On the other side of the village, Shura found himself bouncing around the training arena at the academy. They'd just learned how to push chakra into the legs so they could move fast and jump high. Since he was the best at controlling his chakra in the class he'd been volunteered to go first against a voluntary opponent. He'd been rather surprised when Gaara had asked to be the other person in the arena.

The red head hadn't taken to chakra control like Shura had. There was simply to much and the demon inside of him tended to let its own chakra leak out to confuse his. So instead of jumping around like a monkey he was standing in one spot throwing deadly chunks of sand at his "body guard" as so many liked to call Shura. A shuriken that would have stabbed his leg was caught in the sand "Gaara-sama! You're supposed to be getting used to using chakra in your legs baka!"

Someone gasped "No." simple answer for something Gaara obviously didn't want to do. Shura chuckled quietly to himself and jumped off another wall just in time to avoid being squished by sand. The red head was getting faster he noted absently. They'd have to start practicing in the ruins outside the city like he'd promised the boy a month ago.

A buzz announced that their fight was over and Shura dropped to the ground with a little grunt. He'd seen the sand react as if to catch him. Gaara really was getting better at controlling it if all it could do was shift restlessly. The sand pushed up until it was chest level with him and produced the ten senbon and three kunai it had stopped. He took them with little thought then moved to check Gaara for injuries.

The class had learned to tolerate this dawdling on the practice field as any protest was either ignored or retaliated against. Once he was satisfied that Gaara was fine Shura led the way off the field. Today was their last day until summer break ended. It was just to hot to continue school through the summer so even if they didn't have the break there would only be a handful of children that attended.

Shinonome-sensei smiled at them "That was wonderful Shurachi-kun. You're very good at controlling your chakra just the right amount. And Gaara-sama, I see you've been practicing your control as well." Both boys blushed slightly "Well, you can head home if you'd like. There's nothing left for you to do here but watch the others." So, with permission to leave, the two made their way to Shura's apartment.

It was slow going as Gaara liked to stop and look at everything his eye caught sight of. Shura indulged him as he always did and even went so far as the buy the lolly pop Gaara had been salivating over for a week. He'd not wanted the boy to become addicted to candy after all. They walked through the door with Gaara finishing his treat and were almost immediately swept up in a bag.

They struggled of course, but the sand couldn't find a place to slip out and Shura didn't have any plants with him. He tried poking a hole for the sand with his kunai but it was some sort of uncutable material. They were moving quickly now. So their kidnappers were shinobi? From where though?! "Don't move Gaara-sama, we don't know how high up we are."

The sense of falling made Shura tense up and then they were hitting something cold. Metal clinked, a door shut, and what felt like a carriage began to move. Gaara scooted closer to Shura and asked in a frightened whisper "Where are we going Shurachi-nii?" Aqua eyes closed in the total darkness "I don't know Gaara-chibi, I don't know."

Over the course of the trip they were only taken out twice a day. Once to eat and once to use the bathroom. Both times they were blindfolded and one of them was held with a kunai to the neck to keep any untoward behavior from happening. These men obviously knew about Gaara's sand and Shura's plants. What Shura guessed was two weeks later they were taken out in the bag and set down. A tie and some chakra were taken off the bag but before Shura could wake up enough to do anything th\e men were gone.

Shura crawled out of the bag and took in his first bit of sunlight in quite some time. Stretching his aching limbs he took in the lush grass, healthy trees, sounds of children fighting. There were two packs and a bottle of sand propped against a tree not to far from them and he inspected them before coming back over to Gaara and shaking him from his meditation.

It was the only way his young friend could get any rest without fear of Shukaku taking over. Green eyes opened to peer questioningly at him "We've been dropped off next to some sort of hidden village. We have limited supplies and need to be back in our village by the time school starts." Gaara crawled out of the bag and looked around as well. Shura let him take in his fill while the brunet tested the packs to see which was heavier.

They weighed about the same so he took the one closest to him "We need to go Gaara-sama. They've most likely made a commotion so that this villages shinobi come to check it out. Seeing as we don't know if this is an ally village it would be prudent not to get caught." Gaara took one last look around before shouldering his pack and pocketing the bottle of sand. He was glad he'd worn the coat Shura had gotten him now. It had huge pockets and was designed to trap a persons body temperature so it stayed at a constant level.

Walking through the woods proved to be very amusing for Gaara. Shura, for all his talk about hurrying, couldn't help but be sidetracked by all the plants around him. He'd stop to examine this plant, or pause to collect some seeds. By the time they reached the edge of the training grounds they'd heard Shura had covered twice as much ground as if they'd walked in a straight line.

They sat and watched the purple eyed boy fight alone against a dummy until it got dark and he left. Shura moved them a little further into the wilderness "Make a sand dome Gaara, I want there to be a small opening facing the training ground. Do you think you have enough sand to do that? We'll have to be able to fit inside of it together." Gaara nodded and got to work while Shura watched the forest around them.

Once Gaara was done Shura scattered some of the seeds he'd gathered over the mound and coaxed them to grow. As a final touch he made a few flowers that grew in tall clumps grow in front of the small hole hiding it completely. Gaara stared in amazement, it looked like it had always been there! Perfectly natural and not at all a hiding place for two shinobi in training.

Roots slithered out of the ground at the base of a nearby tree to grow protectively around their gear. You couldn't tell people had been there at all when Shura was done adjusting things. Both boys set up a few small traps to catch small animals or unwary feet "We need to go into the village Gaara-sama. We were only left with clothes and the money I had saved up." Gaara nodded but looked a little uneasy about going into the village. People didn't like homeless children after all.

Shura led the way from the training grounds into the silent school yard, then out to the still bustling market place. After a few minutes he smiled. If they got nothing else from this he at least knew where they were now. Konohagakure. A sign above one of the venders had proclaimed it was the Konoha Lotus very proudly.

Glancing around provided a lot of insight into what was going on as more and more people came out with kimono's on. Finally, enough of them were out that people were noticing the ones not dressed for a festival. Shura grabbed hold of Gaara's arm and tugged him into a bathroom. "You remember Henge from class, right Gaara?" He nodded with a confused look "Why? Who are we going to Henge into?"

A small smile formed on Shura's pale lips "You'll Henge into yourself, only wearing a kimono. This village is having a festival of some sort and we're beginning to stand out." Gaara perked up. He liked to watch festivals. Never go to one because the people didn't like him around, but watching was fine. These people though, they didn't know who or what he was.

"You mean I can go to the festival if I wear a kimono?!" The excitement in the young boys voice made Shura's heart both hurt and happy. He knew of his friends plight and had skipped out on festivals to be with him twice since he'd been transported here from the battle. Before the brunet could answer Gaara had already changed into a light blue kimono with a little puff of smoke. Swirls of vine and flowers decorated it in sea green making a small grin arise on Shura's face.

Performing the jutsu himself, the older boy was left in a dark purple kimono. A design that at first glance didn't appear to be anything but pretty became red kanji for protection upon closer inspection. Gaara had to hide a giggle as he noticed this "My body guard even away from home huh?" Amusement danced in the sea green eyes.

Throwing back a cocky smirk Shura answered "Especially away from home. There's no telling what kind of woodland creatures will want you to pet them!" Both boys laughed and left the bathroom. Neither of them realized someone had been in the stall next to theirs. A small head of dark hair peered out with purple eyes. He took in the strange chakra of both children and resolved to look for them when the streets weren't quite so crowded.

Shura and Gaara went around to all the stands, played several games, and generally had a good time as kids. Occasionally Shura's hand would slip into an obi or sleeve to fund their fun but neither boy was really bothered by this. They found their way back to their forest hideaway with little trouble and after letting the Henge on their clothes drop crawled into the mound of plant and sand to sleep, or in Gaara's case fall into deep meditation.

The next day both boys changed into the clothing provided by the packs. They were more suited to Konoha than the tan, heat resistant clothing they usually wore. Gaara got the bright idea to cover his skin in a thin coating of sand so it wasn't as obvious he was carrying it while Shura slid seeds into any available place in his clothing as well as a few blades of grass.

The final touch was his trademark, something everyone in Suna now knew him by, an orange lily nestled in the holder provided by the two thin braids that met behind his head to keep his bangs out of his eyes. Once they deemed themselves ready the two followed a more worn path into the village proper. Half the day was spent buying non-perishable items while the other half was making themselves familiar with their surroundings.

If they could find out when the next caravan between leaf and sand was leaving they could sneak aboard and get home. Passing by the school as it let out turned out to be a bad idea. Shura noticed the presence following them right away, as did Shukaku. The sand slipped from Gaara to Shura where the older boy was touching Gaara's arm. Shura was sure to be the closest to the target after all.

"Gaara-sama, don't react but someone is following us." Gaara nodded. This had happened before and he'd learned quickly that it was best to just listen to Shura when he said something like that. The two boys continued on for several streets before Shura whirled around and threw a kunai at where he guessed the stalker was.

A surprised squawk reached the two boys and Gaara tensed beside Shura. The brunet narrowed his eyes and carefully slipped a cloth to Gaara "Come out!" Sand shuffled anxiously, waiting for the blood it thrived on. A boy, a little taller than Shura, stepped out from behind the tree he'd been hiding in. The senbon was lodged in his arm which he let dangle at his side.

Purple eyes stared into suspicious aqua "Why were you following us?!" Purple eyes glanced away for a second "Your chakra, it's wrong. You aren't from this village or I would have noticed you before." Shura pushed Gaara further behind himself "I don't want to fight you. I just want to know why you're here. I can't let you stay if you plan to harm the village." The two didn't relax but Shura didn't look like he was ready to tear out a throat.

Moving out from behind Shura, Gaara inspected the boy before them. He wasn't attacking even though he clearly had a right to. Shura had thrown a senbon into his arm on purpose after all. Green eyes turned onto a pale face, Shura never seemed to tan no matter how much sun he got "We'll talk with him." Surprised aqua turned on the younger boy "Gaara-sama!"

Gaara looked away, indicating he wasn't going to argue about this. Shura pursed his lips and wouldn't speak the entire way to the training ground; he refused to let Gaara take Neji to their hide out. Shura stood behind Gaara with his arms crossed as the two other boys took a seat on opposite sides of a large stump. Neji quirked a little smile as he saw the sour expression "I won't hurt him hogosha-san." Shura's expression worsened if that was possible.

Chuckling slightly, Neji turned his attention to a frowning Gaara "So why are you here?" The red head straightened "We were kidnapped then dropped off here. It's likely another plot by my father to prove Hogosha-kun's worthiness to be my friend." Shura stiffened slightly. Hogosha? Gaara thought of him as his guard? Well, hopefully it was just for Neji's benefit that Gaara had called him that.

Speaking of, the Hyuuga looked startled at the casual admission of Gaara's father trying to hurt them. Gaara didn't see anything odd about it and continued "He's done several things like this, though never so successful. He waited for school to get out to put any sort of competent people on killing us." Neji seemed to choke "K-kill you?!" Shura sneered "Yes, kill us. Gaara-sama, we really need to be finding a way to get home."

The purple eyed boy perked up "I can help you." Gaara, who had been getting up, sat back down. Shura sighed, but perked up as well. He didn't like being in Konoha without papers, not after seeing what Suna did to those who trespassed. Neji bit his tongue to hold in a smile "I could get you a map that details routes from here to Suna." Shura nearly snarled "How did you know we were from Suna?!"

Surprise was written all over Neji's face "You have sand with you. The only shinobi I know of that use sand in their jutsu often enough to carry it is sand shinobi." Shura glanced down at Gaara who was smiling sheepishly up at him. The sand had crawled up to pool on the stump without Shura's notice. Pale features relaxed in exasperation "Alright, you can get us the map. Just promise you won't tell anyone about us being here. I don't think we're supposed to send up a notice."

The three boys easily agreed to this and Neji left to find a map. The two from Sunagakure went back to their little hole in the ground to spend the rest of the day checking traps. When the sun went down they crawled inside to rest. Several days passed with them only leaving long enough to get supplies or check for Neji on the training grounds. On the tenth day of storing up non-perishable goods Neji came through. Shura collected the map and they were home within five days.

Tatsu jumped Shura as he came through the apartment door. The boy was forced to drop his pack to the side as a large body came flying at him. They collided, going out the door and into the hallway. A passing Jyonin smirked at a wide eyed Shurachi "You should have been on your guard Chibi-san. Tatsunosuke-kun has been beside himself trying to get permission to go find you." The Jyonin got a very nice view of Shura's finger.

Sometime during his stay the others in the building had taken to calling him Chibi-san. Probably because of Tatsu's supposed nickname for him. He really hated being called that, especially when it was partially true. Several other Jyonin passed the two in the hall with mixed greetings before Shura became fed up with it all and squirmed out from under the eccentric Jyonin.

Tatsu, as expected, made a show of being hurt that Shura didn't want his hug before letting himself be dragged into the apartment. The five year old rubbed at his face for several long seconds before turning dead eyes on Tatsu. Immediately the Jyonin sobered "What's wrong Shura-chan?" He became extra worried when the child failed to react to the chan. Aqua eyes closed "Gaara hates me and it's my own fault." The murmur was barely loud enough for Tatsu to catch. "What happened kid? You've never had any problems before." A sardonic smile curved the young lips "Before, heh. We're children, what do we know of problems? Obviously not enough."

That smile turned into a self mocking laugh "I should have known better than to make him sleep. I knew what Shukaku could do. Knew what he would do if he had the chance." Tatsu's eyes widened with horrified realization "You made Gaara sleep?" The whisper was loud in the silence of the apartment. Shura didn't bother to respond "He was tired beyond what simple meditation could fix. Barely able to stay on his feet, unfocused because of chakra depletion.

I told him to wake me if something came along on his shift but did he bother? NO. He just went ahead and fought an entire colony of spiders on his own; the fool." Pain sparked brightly for a second before the eyes dulled again. "I was so mad at him Tatsunosuke. I called him horrible things then performed a sleeping jutsu on him. Gods, it was huge! I'm just lucky Shukaku likes me."

Tatsunosuke sunk down onto the couch "Are you okay Shurachi? It didn't hurt you did it?" the answer was in the negative, but Tatsu was used to dealing with Shura by now and he could see the tight lines of pain that formed whenever the youth moved his left hand. He let it slide for now, hoping Shura would come to him if he needed help. They remained in silence together for the rest of the night not knowing that as they soaked in what had happened Gaara was being forced to kill his uncle.

It was three weeks later that Shura caught a glimpse of Gaara. He was being herded along by his older sister, a girl Shura had learned to never go near. When he tried to catch Gaara's attention the boy scowled at him and, very deliberately, turned away.

Aqua eyes stared after the retreating forms in shocked hurt before they darkened. If Gaara didn't want to know him anymore then he wouldn't bother the younger boy. Face closed off, heart carefully frosting over, Shura made his way back to Tatsu's apartment. He ignored the questioning look from his guardian, slowly changed into lighter clothing, and settled down to sleep on his futon.

The several weeks were a perfect schedule with little to no deviation. He would wake up, get ready for the day, and slip off to the city library to spend his time cooped up in a dark corner. The only times he didn't go to the library were when the memory of Hermione became to much for him and he had to go do something that couldn't be related to his old life in any way.

Usually that something was wandering in the immediate vicinity of the city, but still in the desert, looking for large insects or snakes to kill. He didn't feel bad about killing these creatures, the snakes around Sunagakure were to stupid to speak with anything more than one or two words and he couldn't understand anything else.

When school started up again he was careful to avoid running into Gaara. Despite this, he couldn't help hunting down anyone he saw picking on the boy or scaring the shit out of anyone he heard talking bad about him. If Gaara noticed his efforts then the red head didn't say anything and Shura spent his academy years reminding people why he'd won the fight his first day there.

It wasn't until he was nominated to go to the chuunin exams that there was any sort of interaction between the two of them. It was his last night in Suna before heading out to water country for the exams. He'd finished his packing and was just lounging in the fading rays of the sun on his roof when he'd felt a flare of chakra.


	11. Questionable HP

**If you decide to do this one contact me, I have some requirements for it before I let it go. It's one of my babies, but one I know I'll never finish.**

Prologue

"Where should we put him?"

Papers shuffled, eyes flickered.

"He's new, you can't put him with Julian and Ray would eat him alive."

More shuffling, the creaking of a chair reclining, a thoughtful glance.

"I'd say we could put him with Evi, but the room next to his was just taken by that little boy."

A small smile, eyes closing, body settling comfortably into a plush chair.

"I don't think you're taking this very seriously sir! This man has never even thought about this line of work. He told me that he wouldn't even have known about this if it weren't for that woman screaming about it at him!"

Eyes open, the smile widens. "Harry."

"And to top it off, he's-what?" Bewildered eyes settled on the other man.

"We'll put him across the hall from Harry. He'll be taken care of."

Worried brown eyes turned suddenly warm and a small chuckle escaped the standing man. "Of course, Why didn't I think of that?"

Blue eyes sparkled and a dark hand reached out to tug the other into his lap. "Because, Harry takes care of everyone. You already assumed he'd get the best from him, so why think about him when you need to find a new ones place?"

A chuckle, shifting clothes, a moan.

"Now, lets get down to business."

Chapter One

Chapped lips pressed together firmly as a slim hand reached for one of the small cakes he'd been preparing for the newest arrival. A wooden spoon just as quickly smacked it away. "Evander Alphonse Murlow, you and your hands get out of my kitchen or you'll not be getting any sweets from me for a month!" Green eyes snapped with irritation, barely kept in touch by amusement.

The slim hand pulled back under the table and a spidery man revealed himself with an embarrassed smile. "Sorry Harry, but Thaniel said you were making cakes tonight because of the new guy and I wanted to have one."

Those chapped lips thinned even more and a stern glint entered Harry's eyes. "You can have one after dinner Evander, like everyone else."

Evander pouted slightly, his full lips glistening with gloss. "But I have to work tonight Harry, and I told you to call me Evi. Everyone else does."

Harry snorted and stuck the dreaded wooden spoon into the pot he'd been about to stir. "Are you saying I should jump off a cliff if everyone else does it Evander? Because I think everyone smart enough to stay would be mighty hungry if I did."

The taller man frowned and unfolded his arms from their position across his chest. He took the few steps between them and wrapped those long, sleeve clad arms around Harry's shoulders. His chin settled atop Harry's head and he look down into the slowly melting chocolate glaze. "I didn't mean it like that, but you always sound so angry when you say my full name."

The stirring paused, before picking back up a little less violently. "Perhaps I wouldn't sound so angry if you would keep those thieving fingers to other peoples pockets and out of my kitchen!" The smaller lowered the flame on the stove and brought one of the hands crossed over his stomach to the spoon. "Now stir this while I check the turkey. It got terribly dry last time I let one of you take care of it."

A long finger dipped toward the slowly stirring pot.

"And don't you taste that chocolate Evander! It'll burn your skin at that temperature!"

The finger pulled away quickly and the stirring picked up a little.

Harry checked in on the poultry, ladled a bit of the juices over the bird, and washed his hands to begin cutting up strawberries and several fruits. The pair worked in silence, comfortable with each other and their tasks. Then a timer dinged and Harry was bustling over to the chocolate and moving it onto a hot plate.

Green eyes flickered up briefly, catching honey brown staring longingly at the small cakes. Chapped lips quirked and small, delicate looking fingers reached up to tug on sandy blond hair. "I'll save you a cake and all it's fixings. I know you wouldn't miss my cooking unless the customer was very important."

Evander lit up and leaned down to peck Harry on the cheek. "Thank you so much Harry! Thaniel threatened to eat mine as well, since I'll be gone tonight."

Harry chuckled and replaced the wooden spoon with a small ladle in the chocolate. He was about to put the spoon in the sink when his wrist was caught and the spoon was pulled up so Evander could lick it clean.

Green eyes softened and the firm tilt of the chapped lips relaxed a little. "Try to have fun tonight Evi. I know you don't talk about your customers, but don't let this one do to much. Okay?"

Chocolate covered lips covered Harry's own in a sweet kiss and his wrist was released. "I promise to come straight to you if they do, alright? You can patch me right up." A brief peck to the slightly parted lips and Evander was slipping out of the kitchen.

Harry licked the residual chocolate and banana lip gloss off his lips and turned back to chopping things for the cakes with a small frown. He'd have to make sure his first aid kit was stocked tonight.

Another body slipped into the kitchen and snuck up behind Harry as he was picking grapes off their bundle. Strong arms circled his stomach and lifted him up, spinning him around briefly and then putting him down. Harry laughed and held onto the arms locked around his middle.

"Lucas! Put me down, you great brute! I'll give your cake to Evi if you don't!" He was reluctantly set down and spun around for a brief, smoke flavored kiss.

Lucas grinned down at him when Harry wrinkled his nose and the smaller male huffed. "Sorry Harry, I'm just so excited about getting someone new on our floor! Reg's been a right bastard about us being the only ones on your floor and now he can't complain because all four apartments are going to be in use! Course, that also means I had to move my stuff out to an actual storage space, but still!"

Harry pushed himself on his toes and popped the grape he'd been holding into Lucas' mouth. "Eat that and go let everyone know that dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes." Lucas squeezed Harry briefly and dutifully chewed his grape. "And help the poor man if he seems to be struggling, will you? Myles said he was kind of shy, so I doubt he'll ask one of us."

Lucas nodded and stole another grape nearly dancing out of the kitchen. It was an amusing sight, considering the man was rather well muscled and sturdy looking. Not at all the type of person you would expect to be dancing around a building full of people.

This time, when he went back to preparing their meal, no one interrupted and he soon had the various dishes laid out on the tables.

There were two turkeys, several bowls of potatoes, a pot of greens, and some gravy evenly distributed on the two large tables that made up the dining room. Everyone was already waiting eagerly, save for those he'd recruited to help him carry it all in, and the reason behind the whole feast was blushing on the first table and smiling shyly at the boisterous people around him.

Harry gave the man a thorough visual inspection. Sandy brown hair, eyes that looked almost yellow, and a tired slump. He turned away from the man and leaned across the second table to put the last boat of gravy down and then squeaked when someone tugged him into their lap.

He accepted the kiss pressed to his lips and climbed out of the lap to go to his own seat. Several more people accosted him on his way, pressing kisses to his lips or whispering their thanks in his ear.

When a smaller hand reached out and snagged his fingers he stilled. Everyone in the hall seemed to settle down as Thaniel, or Nathaniel, tugged Harry closer to himself. The little boy had only come to live with them a month ago and was terribly skittish. He had a distinctly adverse reaction to touching people and liked to hide when someone he didn't know was in the room with him.

It was quite surprising, and reassuring, that he'd reached out to touch Harry on his own.

"Um, Evi said that it was okay if I touched people and that you wouldn't mind it." Harry smiled encouragingly at the little boy leaned forward a little to hear better. "So, can I give you a kiss too?"

Broad grins spread over the faces of those who had heard him and Harry crouched so the boy could reach his face. Small lips pecked his cheek and Thaniel ducked his head with a red blush. Harry straightened and pressed a kiss to the top of his head before continuing down the table.

Only two more people tugged him into their laps by the time he'd made it to the end of the table. Usually he'd never have allowed such behavior, but this was a festive atmosphere and he'd be damned if he was the one that ruined it.

He smiled sweetly at the large black man sitting at the head of the table. He was the owner of the building and it's business, Jase Marle, and he'd been perfectly happy to take Harry in when he a child. Then green eyes turned to the man's lover, Ienzo.

Where Jase was thick, Ienzo was lithe. Where Jase was dark, Ienzo was pale. Looking at them next to each other was almost like going from blacktop to snow. But they both took good care of everyone under their employ and neither took customers of their own.

"So, what do you think of the new guy Harry?"

Green eyes flickered up from the potatoes he'd been mixing gravy into. "He's a werewolf, isn't he?" The pair nodded at him and he frowned thoughtfully. "You said he'd been directed here by that Umridge woman?"

"Not exactly. He's one of the few werewolves who could protest at the ministry with any standing. The ministry just passed the Anti-Werewolf Employment Act. All werewolves who were already unemployed when it went into effect are banned from taking any sort of permanent job. She said that if he was so desperate for work he could always apply at a whore house." Ienzo carefully lifted a piece of gravy drenched turkey to his mouth.

Harry snorted and took a sip from his cup of juice. "We're hardly a conventional whore house Ienzo."

Jase grinned and pulled some greens off his fork. "That's right Harry. No one in this house is a whore, they're all your babies."

The youngest of the three pouted and brandished his fork at Jase. "You got that right Jase Marle, and you're the biggest baby of them all!"

Ienzo grinned behind his cup as Jase blinked at Harry. Harry sniffed and speared his own pile of greens. He was about to put it in his mouth when he stiffened and set it down with an audible clink. "Joshua Motricelli Portucino! You put that spoon down this instant or I'll take your books and set them afire!"

A red head on the table behind Harry hastily shoved the spoon full of potatoes he was about to fling into his mouth. Harry nodded and slipped his fork full of greens into his own mouth. Both tables burst into laughter.

"I reserve my opinion until I've gotten to know him first." Harry said, suddenly bringing the subject back to the new guy. "After all, there are many contradicting rumors surrounding Remus J. Lupin."


	12. adopted: Autobots HP

**_THIS IDEA HAS BEEN PICKED UP BY DUSKBORN. THE STORY IS "GHOST IN THE MACHINE" AND IT IS LINKED IN MY PROFILE FOR EVERYONE WHO IS INTERESTED. THANK YOU DUSKBORN FOR CONTINUING THIS IDEA!_**

Prologue

He'd moved to America to get away from all the crazy publicity and tests his government had wanted to put him through. He'd gone to America so his godson could visit him without having to worry about reporters. He'd fled to America to escape the whining, clawing, desperate clutches of Virginia Weasley. He didn't come to America to be caught, tested, and then experimented on like some sort of mouse!

He had been, and still was, in the custody of Sector Seven. It had been nearly three years and they were still making changes to his body, inserting and removing things, that he had no control over. Just the other day they'd pulled him into a chamber with the huge NBE that gave him the shivers. It looked liked the robotic version of Voldemort, only more spiky.

Rarely did they take him to visit The Cube, though it was by far his favorite place. They'd damaged it though, somehow removed a piece of it and stuck it in his chest. He could still feel the throbbing pain of burning metal and peeling flesh being grafted together.

Harry knew that the only reason he wasn't dead yet was because of his magic. They thought it was the nanobots they'd injected into his blood at one week intervals, but he knew that his magic was only drawing on the tiny machines to alter his DNA in such a way as to make his skin, blood, organs, and various other vital things more compatible with the metal components being introduced to his system.

Some scientist or other had probed his ports after his visit to the NBE to make sure there wasn't an infection. They were recent additions that let him connect to computers and a wide range of hand held devices. Connecting hurt because the area around his ports was still tender, but now he was able to slowly erase his records from their archives and find out about the state of things in the outside world.

Apparently Archibald Witwicky had died last month inside of the mental asylum Sector Seven had put him in. A small riot in England ended in the destruction of three buildings and a small playground, and a new elementary school had been opened for underprivileged children in California. All of this and more was saved to his RAM and settled under an easy to crack password.

That was something new as well. They'd installed something along with the ports that had interfaced and then merged to his brain and he could feel it even now slowly growing with the help of his magic and the nanobots. Soon he was sure any brain tissue left would be gone and he'd be using a computer of sorts to operate.

His heart had long ago been absorbed by the chunk of Cube that had been implanted next to it. Veins and arteries had altered to be more rubber-like in chemical make-up and his organs were slowly starting to malfunction and be replaced by machinery. He wondered if he'd ever be able to have children once it was all said and done; probably not, he wouldn't have the required genetic material to do it.

He'd gone through a recharge cycle twice before anyone came to escort him from his little one room cell. They brought him to visit The Cube first, let him touch it even. He couldn't stop his small smile as the energy that they forcibly harnessed flowed over him and settled in the small piece of Cube he held within him. He could feel nearly a terabyte of memory being filled before he was pulled away and practically dragged to the chamber holding the NBE.

"We have thawed part of it's circuitry. You will be hooked up to some ports we found on the back of it's neck and will tell us anything you find in it's memory." Green eyes widened slightly, pale skin lightening even more at the thought of being connected to such a thing. His voice processor, hic vocal cords long replaced by circuitry, refused to function.

A cable was brought out and the USB connection was accessed. He shuddered at the rough handling of such a sensitive area, but froze up as he was told. It always felt worse if he moved around with the damn things in. He watched the other end of the cable be plugged into an even bigger one, obviously an adapter of some sort, and closed his eyes so he wouldn't see them attached it to the NBE.

The soft snick of it sliding home brought a rush of vicious consciousness that pressed at his CPU and tried to hack through his firewall. After several long minutes it realized that every safety measure it broke down was replaced by three more and so slowed, then stopped it's attack.

Instead of the brutal bludgeoning, it probed at his external communications programs. He'd been careful to hide those from the people experimenting on him, waiting for them to be mature enough to contact someone outside the dam.

They were advanced enough for this though, and so he opened a high frequency line with the NBE, careful to block all attempts at interception. "Hello?"

His questioning greeting was tentative, hesitant in a way he'd never been before his capture. The rumble of an unknown language that answered him made him pause. He could feel the link between them widening slightly, the question of Download obvious between the two machines. He didn't accept right away and instead gathered up everything he had saved on language.

This time he probed the connection and made space for his own transfer of files before accepting. It was immediately saved and then accessed along with everything he kept hidden involving his previous life in England. They didn't speak, but there was another file transfer request and he readily accepted it then sent back his own reply. Data on where they were being held, by whom, and theories as to why.

Things went on like that for nearly an hour before he was forcefully disconnected, bringing massive amounts of pain and error messages into his field of vision. "The information you have gathered will be sorted into files and then transferred onto a computer." He barely managed a nod through the pain circulating around his system.

When he was hooked up to the computer he dutifully began transferring copies of the files. As a background program however, he was deleting the last of the files on himself, the ones containing images, from their databanks. He would make his escape tonight, on their way back to his cell. They only ever had two guards on him and no one was allowed into his corridor but those guards and their superiors.

The computer flashed that the download was complete and he quickly disengaged himself before they could rudely pull the cable. He was jerked to his feet, given only enough time to store the cable in a pocket, and escorted from the room. He walked silently, as he always did, and waited until they were safely inside his corridor before making his move. The guards hit the ground.

When the slightly short soldier entered the chamber housing the NBE, no one glanced up. When he moved to the huge adapter that had been used for the first time earlier that day, no one looked up. When that adapter suddenly vanished, no one looked up. And when the guard left the chamber, control room, and then the dam, no one remembered he had ever been there.

Harry Potter turned his green eyes on the twinkling stars of the sky and smiled. Sirius was laughing down on him, and he was finally free.

**Chapter One**

_Samuel Witwicky, age five_

Green eyes flickered away from the rose bushes James had been planting as a moving van pulled up to the house down the street. He watched a small boy jump out of the cab and run up to the door of the house, back to the truck, around to the back yard, and then out into the street to get a look up and down the block. His father, for who else could the man be, called him back onto the sidewalk and boxes began to make their way into the house. He turned his attention back to the roses.

_Samuel Witwicky, age six_

Ron Witwicky grunted as his car once again refused to start. One of his neighbors, a thin woman who resembled an underfed bird was watching him in the morning light. Again came the sputtering sound of his engine hating him.

"You should go down the street three houses and ask the Harris boy to take a look at it. He works in one of those mechanic places in town and I hear he's very good at what he does." She giggled and Ron frowned at her.

He didn't like the idea of waking someone up just to get his car to start, but he really needed to get to work. Just as he was resigning himself to calling in late, the woman gasped and scampered inside. Someone cleared their throat and Ron turned a little in his seat to see who wanted his attention now.

A young man with dark hair and green eyes smiled a little at him and held up a tool box. "I noticed you were having some trouble, do you mind if I take a look?" A suspicious frown on his face, Ron reluctantly agreed.

That frown turned into a surprised smile as the man moved away from the engine ten minutes later and motioned for him to start the car. The quiet purr of the engine was enough mark this man as a friend to the Witwickys. "thank you Mr…?"

A wide smile met him "Harris. My name is James Harris, and I was very happy to help you Mr. Witwicky." James waved as Ron pulled out of the driveway and made his way to work.

_Samuel Witwicky, age seven_

James grunted as a small body impacted with his own, tiny arms wrapping around his neck and holding tight as he pushed himself to his feet and wiped dirt from his hands. "Hello to you too Sam. I take it you had a good day at school?" The small boy nodded against his back and James chuckled.

He hooked his arms under the boys butt and supported him as he rested against his back. "I made a friend! His name is Miles and we're going to be best friends forever and ever! You were right about talking to the other kids James, it really helped!"

The chuckled turned into all out laughter and he jostled the child on his back a little as they entered his house. "Of course I was, aren't I always right Little Sam?" He heard the small sound that indicated pouting and grinned over his shoulder. "And I'm sure I'm right when I say you want some ice-cream." Sam immediately perked up at the thought.

_Samuel Witwicky, age sixteen_

The roar of an engine followed by the tug of something on the sliver of metal in his chest drew James to his window. Sam was getting his first car today and by the looks of it he'd picked a nice old camaro. It was good car so long as you treated it well and he felt a little warmth as he remembered that his own first car had been a camaro.

Whatever it was that had been pulling at his chest had stopped so he let it fade into the back of his processor and continued on with the hacking he'd been doing earlier. Apparently something big was going on in the government and it involved the NBE he'd interfaced with, if only briefly. He had a flag on anything concerning Sector Seven and this had them written all over it.

_Three days after Mission City_

"Listen, if anybody can fix him, It'll be James! Even Ratchet says his fingers are to large to do the fine repairs they need and no one you know would be able to fix a toaster, let alone an Autobot!" Sam tugged a little at his hair and turned pleading eyes to Optimus Prime. "You have to believe me, he'll help both Jazz and Bee, I promise!"

Blue optical sensors flickered briefly. "It is not a question of skill so much as it is a question of confidentiality. Will he stay quiet about our existence?" Sam didn't even have to think about it before he nodded.

He'd always been able to tell James anything. The time he'd skipped classes to go to an amusement park with Miles, the time he'd hidden in the girls locker room on a dare, the time he'd wanted to know what the other guys in gym class meant when they said Happy time; James had never mentioned any of that to his parents and always offered good advice that helped to resolve his problems.

Sam knew that if anyone could be trusted to do the fine tuning both Autobots would need, it would be James. Will Lennox frowned deeply as Optimus sighed "Alright Sam, but it will be your responsibility if he leaks our existence to anyone." The loud cheer that came after that was enough to make everyone around smile, if only a little.


End file.
